The View From Carnegie 210

At the last meeting of the Cognitive Group, we reviewed a fairly recent article by Nelson & Simmons (2007) who present some shocking new information regarding the name-letter effect. The name-letter effect highlights correlations that we see between the letters in someone's name and his/her choices and preferences. For example, someone named Paul may be more likely to live in Pennsylvania, study psychology, drink Pepsi, own a poodle, and date a woman named Penny.

Historically, data on the name-letter effect has derived from correlational studies that demonstrate these interesting relations in various archives of demographic information. The first few experiments in the Nelson & Simmons study follow this trend. For example, they find that batters whose names began with the letter K have higher strike out rates. In fact, using a data set that spanned 90 years, they found that, "...K was both the first initial and the last initial associated with the highest strikeout rate" (p. 1107).

Closer to our academic setting, the study also showed that students whose names began with C or D had lower GPAs than students whose names began with A or B. It is important to point out that this tendency depended upon whether or not the students liked the letters in their name. Specifically, students whose names began with C or D only had significantly lower GPAs if they reported liking the initials of their first or last name.

Our Cognitive Group members were quick to point out that, so far, this data is correlational and, as we all learn in Psych 206 and 207, correlation does not equal causation! However, Nelson & Simmons also report the results of an experimental study that demonstrated that people completed significantly fewer anagrams if their initials matched the name of a consolation prize. Hmm...now what?

Overall, the group discussed that there are still issues to consider before we stop using all C and D names for children. For example, it seemed that there was the potential for participant bias in the experimental study...would participants catch on that the consolation prize had their initial? Naming the consolation prize, "Prize K" would seem kind of odd. Also, if students whose name began with C or D received a lot of C and D's in school...wouldn't they come to dislike those letters and, if so, shouldn't that experience mitigate the finding of lower GPAs? Remember, the effect only holds if students like the initials of their names. Speaking of which...how do we determine if participants like the initials of their names and what factors do they consider in those "liking" ratings? How often do we share with one another our "favorite letter"? All great points brought up in our discussion.

Needless to say, the study has raised some controversy and discussion in the field as well. For example, you can find interesting summaries of the data (and the history of the name-letter effect) by reading the Cognitive Daily and Mixing Memory blog entries discussing the study.

Leif D. Nelson, Joseph P. Simmons (2007). Moniker Maladies: When Names Sabotage Success Psychological Science, 18 (12), 1106-1112 DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9280.2007.02032.x