Abstract：
It is widely assumed that the term \"weakness\" has negative psychological effects and should be replaced by \"area for improvement.\" The present study is the first to examine the matter experimentally. It was hypothesised that effects of \"weakness\" (vs. \"area for improvement\") are most pronounced in those with low perceived self-efficacy in the relevant domain. Two experiments were conducted in the domain of self-regulation. In those with low perceived self-efficacy for self-regulation (PSESR), \"weakness\" apparently had a negative indirect effect on improvement expectancy by increasing the perceived stability (Experiment 1) or lowering the perceived controllability (Experiment 2) of the problem. Moreover, at low levels of PSESR in Experiment 2, estimated indirect effects of \"weakness\" on perceived value of improvement were both positive and negative. However, gender apparently moderated those effects. \"Weakness\" apparently lowered perceived controllability in both males and females but in women the negative effect was more pronounced when PSESR was low. In addition, \"weakness\" apparently increased perceived internality in males with low PSESR. Compared to \"area for improvement,\" \"weakness\" may indeed have some (negative) psychological effects in people with low perceived self-efficacy in the relevant domain. Given the ubiquity of these terms in evaluative contexts and the widespread fears of the term \"weakness,\" more experimental research needs to be conducted.
摘要：
人们普遍认为，“弱点”一词具有负面的心理影响，应该用“改善区域”代替。“本研究是第一个通过实验检查该问题的研究。有人假设“软弱”的影响(与“改善领域”）在相关领域感知自我效能感低的人中最为明显。在自我调节领域进行了两个实验。在自我调节自我效能感(PSESR)较低的人群中，“弱点”显然通过增加问题的感知稳定性（实验1）或降低问题的感知可控性（实验2）对改善预期产生了负面的间接影响。此外，在实验2中PSESR水平较低的情况下，“弱点”对感知改善价值的估计间接影响既有积极的，也有消极的。然而,性别显然缓和了这些影响。“弱点”显然降低了男性和女性的可控性，但在女性中，当PSESR较低时，负面影响更为明显。此外,“虚弱”明显增加了PSESR低的男性的感知内在性。与“需要改进的地方”相比，\"\"弱点\"可能确实有一些（负面的）心理影响，在相关领域的低感知自我效能感的人。鉴于这些术语在评估背景下无处不在，以及对“软弱”一词的普遍担忧，“需要进行更多的实验研究。
