Some environmental influences, including intentional interventions, have shown persistent effects on psychological characteristics and other socially important outcomes years and even decades later. At the same time, it is common to find that the effects of life events or interventions diminish and even disappear completely, a phenomenon known as fade-out. We review the evidence for persistence and fade-out, drawing primarily on evidence from educational interventions. We conclude that (a) fade-out is widespread and often coexists with persistence; (b) fade-out is a substantive phenomenon, not merely a measurement artifact; and (c) persistence depends on the types of skills targeted, the institutional constraints and opportunities within the social context, and complementarities between interventions and subsequent environmental affordances. We discuss the implications of these conclusions for research and policy.

一些环境影响，包括有意干预，在数年甚至数十年后对心理特征和其他重要的社会结果显示出持续的影响。与此同时，人们常常发现生活事件或干预措施的影响减弱甚至完全消失，这种现象称为“淡出” 。我们主要利用教育干预措施的证据来审查持久性和逐渐消失的证据。我们的结论是：(a) 淡出现象很普遍，并且经常与持久性共存； (b) 淡出是一种实质性现象，而不仅仅是一种测量伪影； (c) 持久性取决于目标技能类型、社会背景下的体制限制和机会以及干预措施与随后的环境承受能力之间的互补性。我们讨论这些结论对研究和政策的影响。