按下門鈴，就聽到響聲；按下自動售貨機的按鈕，飲料就咚咚咚的滾了出來。然而生活中，有很多看起來很厲害的按鈕，實際上是沒有任何功能的。比如在美國，電梯里都安裝了一個“關閉”按鈕，這通常是給檢修員和應急救援人員使用的，而且只有在插上了一把鑰匙時才管用。像這樣沒有實際功能的按鈕叫做安慰按鈕。

A placebo button is a push-button with apparent functionality that actually has no effect when pressed. Such buttons can be psychologically rewarding to pressers by giving an illusion of control.
安慰按鈕指的是表面上看具備某種功能，但實際按下去卻沒有效果的按鈕。這類按鈕能給使用者帶來心理上的收獲，讓人產生控制感。

They are commonly placed in situations where it would have once been useful to have such a button but the system now proceeds automatically.
安慰按鈕常出現在過去有用，但后來系統實現了自動化的地方。

In some cases the button may have been functional, but may have failed or been disabled during installation or maintenance or was, in a relatively small number of cases, installed to keep people contented, much in the same way as placebos.
在一些例子中，這個按鈕可能一直在使用中，但可能已經失效，或在安裝維修中失去了功能；在少數例子中，安裝這種按鈕是為了讓人們滿意，類似于安慰劑。

Many walk buttons at pedestrian crossings were once functional in New York City, but now serve as placebo buttons.
紐約市人行橫道的很多步行按鈕之前曾經有作用，但如今只是安慰按鈕。

It has been reported that the temperature set point adjustment on thermostats in many office buildings in the United States is non-functional, installed to give tenants' employees a similar illusion of control.
據報道，很多美國辦公樓中溫度控制器的設置按鈕無效，安裝按鈕只是為了給其中辦公的員工帶來類似的控制錯覺。

（中國日報網英語點津 yaning）