Adults’ liking of infant names

Document Type

Poster

Department

Psychology

Conference Title

Eberly College of Arts and Sciences Research Horizons Day

Location

Morgantown, WV

Date of Presentation

4-1-2010

Abstract

Little research has addressed why some names are preferred over others. The goal of this study was to examine both characteristics of names and characteristics of adults that influence individuals’ liking of particular names. Male (N=148) and female (N=464) college students were recruited from introductory psychology classes. They completed a demographic questionnaire, the Big 5 Personality Inventory, and indicated their liking of infant names in a list containing currently popular, previously popular, and unusual names for both boys and girls. Participants’ openness and agreeableness scores significantly correlated with their average liking of all names, r(609)=.10, p<.05, and r(608)=.08, p<.05, respectively. Also, participants with more contact with infants were more variable in their liking of infant names. A Sex of Participant x Sex of Baby Name x Type of Baby Name Analysis of Variance found no main effects of Sex of Participant or Sex of Baby Name, but all other effects and interactions were significant, p < .05. Follow-up paired t-tests, p < .05, revealed the following: Both male and female participants liked unusual names less than currently popular and previously popular names, regardless of the sex of the name. Male participants liked currently popular and previously popular names equally, whereas female participants liked currently popular names more than previously popular names, again regardless of the sex of the name. These results suggest that individuals with more positive personality characteristics tend to be more positive and optimistic about infants and their names. In addition, the current popularity of names influences women’s liking of names more than strongly than men’s liking

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