It's all in the name -- predicting popularity through psychological science

June 11, 2012 in Psychology & Psychiatry

Music has moved from grunge to hip-hop to indie rock. Low-carb is in. Low-fat is out. Styles change and fashions evolve. But why do some things become more popular than others? Popularity may seem arbitrary, but recent research suggests that fads may be less random than we think.

In a study forthcoming in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for , researcher Jonah Berger, from the University of Pennsylvania, and his colleagues investigated whether baby were connected to .

"We were interested in understanding cultural evolution or whether it is possible to predict what things will become popular next," said Berger. "Songs, movies, and first names often become popular, but little is known about why some things become more popular than others."

The scientists used data from the US Social Security Administration to collect the first names of babies born between 1882 and 2006. Using the over seven thousand names they collected, they broke the names down into phonemes, or distinct units of sound. For example, the name 'Karen' can be broken down into 'K EH R AH N.' The phonemes from each year were compared to determine if there were any correlations between phoneme popularity and name popularity.

The researchers discovered that names were more popular when the phonemes that make up the name were popular in other names the . So the name Karen probably became popular in 2000 because names that began with the K sound, ended with the N sound, or had a EH, R or AH sound in the middle of the name were popular in 1999.

"The similarity between cultural items influenced what became popular next," said Berger. "If the name Katie was popular, similar sounding names like Karen, Carl, and Katrina were more likely to become popular in the future."

To demonstrate that an increase in hearing a particular phoneme could influence the popularity of names that shared that phoneme, Berger and his colleagues did a second study in which they looked for between phonemes in hurricane names and baby names. When hurricanes cause substantial damage, their names are mentioned more frequently, exposing more people to the phonemes in the name. They found that the names of more destructive hurricanes influenced the popularity of certain phonemes in baby names after the storm. For example, after Hurricane —the Category 5 storm that wreaked havoc on the Gulf Coast— there was a 9% increase in names that began with the letter 'K.'

Overall, the findings provide insight into how culture evolves over time. Songs, movies, and technology may not become popular based on their unique characteristics, but because they share common features with other popular items, whether it's a similar look, sound, or name.

Journal reference: Psychological Science search and more info website

Provided by Association for Psychological Science search and more info website

2 /5 (1 vote)  

Rank 2 /5 (1 vote)
Related Stories
Relevant PhysicsForums posts

More news stories

'Boys will be boys' in US, but not in Asia

A new study shows there is a gender gap when it comes to behavior and self-control in American young children – one that does not appear to exist in children in Asia.

Psychology & Psychiatry created 3 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Brain can be trained in compassion, study shows

Until now, little was scientifically known about the human potential to cultivate compassion—the emotional state of caring for people who are suffering in a way that motivates altruistic behavior.

Psychology & Psychiatry created 4 hours ago | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 2 | with audio podcast

Good marriage can buffer effects of dad's depression on young children

What effect does a father's depression have on his young son or daughter? When fathers report a high level of emotional intimacy in their marriage, their children benefit, said a University of Illinois study.

Psychology & Psychiatry created 4 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

American, Nepalese kids a world apart on social duties

(Medical Xpress)—Preschoolers universally recognize that one's choices are not always free – that our decisions may be constrained by social obligations to be nice to others or follow rules set by parents ...

Psychology & Psychiatry created 12 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Ethicists' behavior not more moral, study finds

(Medical Xpress)—Do ethicists engage in better moral behavior than other professors? The answer is no. Nor are they more likely than nonethicists to act according to values they espouse, according to researchers from the ...

Psychology & Psychiatry created 12 hours ago | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0


Calorie information in fast food restaurants used by 40 percent of 9-18 year olds when making food choices

A new study published online today (Thursday) in the Journal of Public Health has found that of young people who visited fast food or chain restaurants in the U.S. in 2010, girls and youth who were obese were more likely ...

Having both migraines, depression may mean smaller brain

(HealthDay)—Migraines and depression can each cause a great deal of suffering, but new research indicates the combination of the two may be linked to something else entirely—a smaller brain.

Slowing the aging process—only with antibiotics

Swiss scientists reveal the mechanism responsible for aging hidden deep within mitochondria—and dramatically slow it down in worms by administering antibiotics to the young.

Researchers complete largest genetic sequencing study of human disease

Researchers from Queen Mary, University of London have led the largest sequencing study of human disease to date, investigating the genetic basis of six autoimmune diseases.

Novel approach for influenza vaccination shows promise in early animal testing

A new approach for immunizing against influenza elicited a more potent immune response and broader protection than the currently licensed seasonal influenza vaccines when tested in mice and ferrets. The vaccine ...

Systematic screening of med adherence will ID barriers

(HealthDay)—Implementation of systematic monitoring for medication adherence will allow for identification of barriers to adherence and tailoring of interventions, according to a viewpoint piece published ...