Geographical and Political Predictors of Emotion in the Sounds of Favorite Baby Names

doi:10.2466/pms.102.1.105-108

Paper

Geographical and Political Predictors of Emotion in the Sounds of Favorite Baby Names

Published Feb 1, 2006 · C. Whissell

Perceptual and Motor Skills

Q3 SJR score

5

Citations

0

Influential Citations

Full textSemantic Scholar

Abstract

The top 5 favorite boys' and girls' names from each state of the USA in 2000 and 2003 were analyzed in terms of the emotional associations of their component sounds and sound pronounceability. These were significantly and variously correlated with a historical factor (year), geographic factors (compass directions), and a political factor (percentage of the popular vote cast for President Bush in 2004). The expected stereotypical sex differences were observed: girls' names were longer, more pleasant, less active, and easier to pronounce (p < .01). It was possible to predict emotional associations and pronounceability (R2 = .27-.48, p < .01) on the basis of historical, geographical, and political variables.

Observational Study

Study Snapshot

Girls' names are longer, more pleasant, less active, and easier to pronounce, with historical, geographical, and political factors influencing emotional associations and pronounceability.

PopulationOlder adults (50-71 years)

Sample size24

MethodsObservational

OutcomesBody Mass Index projections

ResultsSocial networks mitigate obesity in older groups.

Paper

Geographical and Political Predictors of Emotion in the Sounds of Favorite Baby Names

References

Pronounceability: A Measure of Language Samples Based on Children's Mastery of the Phonemes Employed in Them

Pronounceability is a new measure of English language samples, indicating greater youthfulness and playfulness, with women's names and poetry being less pronounceable than song lyrics or children's materials.

Sound and Emotion in Given Names

Women's names contain more soft, pleasant, passive, and sad phonemes, while men's names contain more cheerful, active, nasty, and unpleasant phonemes, effectively separating sexes in given names.

Phonoemotional Profiling: A Description of the Emotional Flavour of English Texts on the Basis of the Phonemes Employed in Them

Phonemes in English texts have distinct emotional characters, and phonoemotional profiling can help identify the emotional flavor of various types of material.

Citations

The Social Desirability of Rallying ’Round the Flag

First names for newborn children in the United States may change to conform to social-desirability bias, potentially misleading analyses of public opinion shifts.

The American Public’s Attention to Politics in Conflict and Crisis, 1880–1963

Newborns are more likely to be named after a president after elections, assassination attempts, and declarations of war, reflecting shifts in public approval of the president.

Nominal Partisanship: Names as Political Identity Signals

Higher proportions of Democrats in a state increase the relationship between Republican populations and the tendency to name daughters "Reagan," suggesting that expressing identity through names has greater expressive benefits than costs.

Historical and Socioeconomic Predictors of the Emotional Associations of Sounds in Popular Names

Historical and socioeconomic factors significantly predict the emotional associations of sounds in popular names, with the birth control pill and year being significant predictors.