BOUBA KIKI Performance Negative Initials Live 4.5 years Less - - PDF document

Why being called “Davy” is a bad idea:

Sound Symbolism and the Perception of Social Dominance

David Cottrell, Solveigh Broadhurst & Anna Brooks

Thank you! I got it for my birthday

I really like your name!

Marilyn Monroe Norma Jean Mortenson

Elton John Reginald Kenneth Dwight

Names and employment prospects

Olivia Wilde Olivia Cockburn

Germans with Noble-Sounding Surnames More Often Work as Managers

König Bäcker

Silberzahn & Ahlmann (2013)

Correlational data

Christian Name starts with “D” Poorer Academic Performance Negative Initials (PIG, DIE, FAT) Live 4.5 years Less Common Name Higher Grades More popular Trustworthy Job Interviews Familiar Name Journal Ratings Attractiveness Likability Ease of Pronunciation Job promotions Job interview

Sound Symbolism

KIKI BOUBA

Ramachandran & Hubbard (2001) Köhler (1929)

Sound Symbolism

Frish Frosh

Yorkston and Menon (2004)

Sound Symbolism

High Frequencies - Indicator of Size

Diminutive Suffix

Charles Charlie

Does the sound of a name change our perception of a person?

Daniel Dany

Todorov, A., Dotsch, R., Porter, J. M., & Falvello, V. B. (2013)

Facial Dominance

• 2
• 1

+1 +2

Female Faces

• 2
• 1

+1 +2 Diminutive Names Dominant Names Dorlie Loany Sonty Cherdy Mophie Enda Derta Serbel Cletto Volmo

Female Faces

• 2
• 1

+1 +2 Diminutive Names Dominant Names Garty Karby Fuskie Rerby Skilly Gedal Braka Darzor Febton Slonto

Male Faces

Mophie Phase 1: Passive Learning

Derta Volmo Serbel Enda Mophie Dorlie Cherdy Loany Cletto Sonty

Phase 2: Active Learning

Which of these faces is more dominant?

Phase 3: Test

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• 1

+1 +2

Each Face Compared to every face in th

Diminutive Names Dominant Names 25 Trials x 2

Hypothesis

Faces Selected as more Dominant (%) Facial Dominance

• 2
• 1

1 2

Diminutive Name Dominant Name

Results: Female Faces

Faces Selected as more Dominant (%) 25 50 75 100 Facial Dominance

• 2
• 1

1 2

Diminutive Name Dominant Name

n = 20 p < .004

Results: Male Faces

Faces Selected as more Dominant (%) 25 50 75 100 Facial Dominance

• 2
• 1

1 2

Diminutive Name Dominant Name

n = 20

Discussion

Dramatic effect of diminutively suffixed name on the perception of female faces Effect on male faces is less clear cut. Dominant facial features override the name effect

Most popular Girls Names (2015)

• 1. Olivia
• 2. Charlotte
• 3. Mia
• 4. Ava
• 5. Amelia
• 6. Emily
• 7. Sofia/Sophia
• 8. Sophie
• 9. Chloe
• 10. Ruby

Who would pick a Diminutive name?

Most popular Boys Names (2015)

• 1. Oliver
• 2. William
• 3. Jack
• 4. Noah
• 5. Jackson/Jaxon/Jaxson
• 6. Thomas
• 7. Lucas
• 8. James
• 9. Alex/Alexander
• 10. Ethan

Who would pick a Diminutive name?

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