The effect of familiarity on preferences for surnames

Abstract

A sample of 40 male and 40 female subjects rated either their familiarity with or their liking for 60 one‐syllable and two‐syllable surnames selected randomly from a local telephone directory. Linear and curvilinear regression analyses strongly corroborated the hypothesis of an inverted‐U familiarity‐favourability relationship. These results, together with those of earlier investigations using other classes of stimuli, are discussed in the light of a preference‐feedback hypothesis according to which the naturally occurring frequency of exposure of certain stimuli is largely determined by the degree to which they are preferred. This hypothesis accounts for the monotonic familiarity‐favourability relationship found for Christian names and the non‐monotonic relationship found for letters of the alphabet, one‐syllable words, and surnames, and for the cyclical vogues to which Christian names and other cultural objects appear to be subject.