Whether it is a married couple choosing a new car, two friends buying a holiday or business colleagues investing in stocks and shares, if one of the two is a woman then the pair will take fewer risks.

不管是夫妻挑选新车，两个朋友一起购买旅游度假产品，还是两个同事一起投资股票证券，如果这两人中有一个是女性的话，那他们承担的风险就会小些。

This means if you want a good deal, you should make sure there's a woman in the negotiations¹.

这意味着如果你想完成一次比较成功的交易，你最好确定有一名女性参与到协商过程中来。

A compromise is more likely when a woman is involved in the decision making, according to new research.

据一项新的研究显示，当有女性参与交易的最终决策时，形成折衷方案的可能性更大。

Men making decisions together are dismissive of compromise and more likely to 'assert their masculinity' by going for an extreme deal, says a study in the Journal of Consumer Research.

消费者研究》杂志的一项研究显示，男性一起进行交易决策的时候，他们往往会对折衷的方案不屑一顾，而更倾向于通过极端的交易方案来显示自己的“男子气概”。

Researchers from the Carroll School of Management at Boston College tested a range of buying and selling goods with a different range of prizes, on 900 pairs of volunteers.

波士顿学院卡罗尔管理研究院的研究人员测试了900对志愿者在购买和销售价格各异的商品时的行为。

'When men are in the presence of other men, they feel the need to prove their masculinity', Professor Hristina Nikolova, lead author of the study said.

该研究报告的首席作者，哈里斯蒂娜•尼科洛娃教授表示：“当男性和同性一起时，他们会感觉到需要证明自己的男子气概。”

'Both tend to push away from the compromise option because the compromise option is consistent with feminine norms.

“他们双方都会避免折衷的选择，因为折衷的选择显得女性化。”

'On the other hand, extremism is a more masculine trait so that's why both male partners tend to prefer an extreme option when making decisions together.'

“而另一方面，走极端的做法有着更加男性化的特征，所以两个男性一起做决定时，他们倾向于更极端的选择。”

When a woman made a decision on buying with another man or woman, the outcome was more likely to involve a compromise. But two men together would end up at one extreme or the other.

当一名女性和一名男性或者另一名女性一起做购买决策时，最终结果更可能是一个折衷的方案。但是两个男性在一起的话最后的结果往往是走向极端。

For instance, two men going to buy a car together would choose one which is the fastest, the most fuel efficient or the safest.

例如，当两名男性一起去购买汽车时，他们也许会选择速度最快的、或者最省油的、或者最安全的。

But if a woman is involved in the deal either as a buyer or seller then the car chosen is more likely to be a compromise. She will not pick the safest, fastest or most fuel efficient but one that combines all factors.

但如果有一名女性参与到交易中，不管她是买方还是卖方，最终的选择就更有可能是一个折衷的结果。她不会选择最安全的、速度最快的，或者最省油的，而会选择这些方面特征都具备的。

Women are more likely to go for the 'Goldilocks effect', the study reported - the name given to an aversion to extremes.

该研究表明，女性往往会遵从“金发女孩效应”——这种说法是出于对走极端做法的厌恶。

The experiments involved 1,200 students conducting deals as pairs or individuals plus another 673 doing deals online.

本次实验中共有1200名学生两人结伴或者单独进行交易，另外还有673人进行网上交易.

The deals ranged from discussing which printer to buy to paying different amounts for a lottery² ticket but where the potential prizes ranged from high to low.

交易活动包括讨论买哪个打印机、投资多少钱买中奖金额高低不等的彩票等等。

'No matter what the product is, we see the same effects,' Professor Nikolova added.

尼科洛娃教授还说：“不管购买的产品是什么，我们都看到了相同的效应。”

'The compromise effect basically emerges in any pair when there is a woman.

“基本上只要两人中有女性，折衷效应就会出现。”

'However, surprisingly, when you have men choosing together, they actually tend to push away from the compromise option and select one of the extreme options.'

“而奇怪的是，当你让两名男性一起做决策的时候，他们真的会倾向于避免折衷选择，做出极端选择。”

'Individuals and mixed-gender and female-female pairs will likely go for the middle option since it seems reasonable and is easily justified³.'

“单独行动、男女混合配对和两名女性配对的实验组更可能进行折衷选择，因为这样的选择似乎更合情理。”

'In contrast to men,' said Professor Nikolova, 'women act the same together as they would alone because they don't need to prove anything in front of other women.

尼科洛娃教授说：“相对于两名男性的实验组，两名女性的实验组和女性单独行动的实验组交易行为差异不大，因为她们不需要在其他女性面前证明什么。”

'Womanhood is not precarious⁴ and does not need the same level of public defense⁵ as manhood. That's why we observe the compromise effect in the joint decisions of two female partners.'

“女性特质并不容易受到质疑，并不像男性特质那样需要在公共场所的活动中积极捍卫。这就是我们在女性配对进行决策的实验组中观察到折衷效应的原因。”