Implicit letter preferences in job choice: an experimental test of the role of cognitive load.
Research has shown that people prefer the letters in their names to letters that are not in their names. This name-letter effect seems to influence important life decision such as where one chooses to live or whom one chooses to marry. The authors' laboratory study investigated whether this effect generalizes to individuals' job-choice intentions under specific conditions. Furthermore, the authors hypothesized that name-letter preferences in job-choice intentions would be stronger under conditions of high cognitive load than under conditions of low cognitive load. Two experiments with final-year students attending a university in Belgium showed support for name-letter preferences in job-choice intentions. There was no support for the hypothesized moderating role of cognitive load. The authors discuss the implications of these results for theory and research on name-letter preferences and job choice.
Anseel
Frederik
F
Department of Personnel Management, Work and Organizational Psychology, Ghent University, Henri Dunantlaan 2, 9000 Ghent, Belgium. frederik.anseel@ugent.be
Duyck
Wouter
W
D001290:Attitude; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003071:Cognition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D007586:Job Application; D008297:Male; D009275:Names; D012649:Self Concept; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult