Overvaluation of Own Attributes: Mere Ownership or Subjective Frequency?

Abstract

The hypothesis was tested that the Name-Letter Effect or affective overvaluation of own name-letters as compared to non-name-letters (Nuttin, 1985, 1987) is due to an enhanced subjective frequency of own name-letters as compared to non-name-letters. Experiment 1 yielded a Name-Letter Effect and an overestimation of own name-letters' frequencies as compared to non-name-letters. Both effects were correlated. Experiments 2 and 3 replicated both effects but not their correlation. In Experiment 3, subjects who were satisfied with their own name showed a stronger Name-Letter Effect (but no stronger name-letter frequency overestimation) than subjects who were relatively dissatisfied with it. Results run counter to the subjective frequency hypothesis and support the mere ownership hypothesis, which states that merely belonging to one's self (mere ownership) is a sufficient condition for the enhancement of the attractiveness of an object and its constitutive elements. The implications of both name-letter overvaluation phenomena for cognitive and affective self-referent processes are discussed.