What's in a Name?
─Mike Corsini
What's your name? According to some scientists, your answer to this question can influence your future.
Just as our accents and clothes tell the world something about who we are, so our names allow others to make assumptions about us. One US study shows that children with names associated with low-social-status groups are expected to achieve less than kids who don't have such names. Since our identities are partly shaped by how society views us, a child who is expected to fail will likely fulfill such expectations.
Other research suggests that a name can also determine a person's career choice. A large number of dentists named Dennis and lawyers named Lauren in the United States was noted in one study. It has also been shown that women with feminine names tend to study the humanities, while those with less feminine names are more likely to take math or science courses.
Despite such findings, some still think that our names have no significant influence on our future. Additional facts about a person, such as his or her abilities or personality, can reduce the first impression created by that person's name.
名字學問大 你叫什麼名字？根據一些科學家的說法，你對這個問題的答案可能影響你的未來。
就如同我們的口音和衣著告訴世人我們是什麼樣的人一樣，我們的名字也讓其他人對我們做出臆測。一項美國研究顯示︰名字與社會地位低下階層相關連的孩子，預期所獲得的成就比沒有這類名字的孩子來的低。由於我們的身份認同有一部分是由社會如何看待我們形塑而成的，一名被預期會失敗的孩子就有可能實現這樣的期待。
其他研究顯示名字也可能會決定一個人的職業選擇。一份研究指出，在美國有非常多名叫「丹尼斯」的牙醫和名叫「蘿倫」的律師。這份研究也顯示，名字較女性化的女生往往唸文科，而那些名字較不女性化的女生則比較有可能修數學或理工課程。
儘管有這樣的研究發現，有些人仍認為我們的名字對未來沒有顯著的影響。其他關於一個人真正的情況，像是能力或個性，會削減因名字所產生的第一印象。 |
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