You've seen my last name, and you probably can't pronounce it. We're used to that. But did you know that your last name may have an effect on your purchasing behavior?
Researchers at Georgetown and Belmont Universities theorized that people whose last names are near the end of the alphabet have spent their entire childhoods being last in line and sitting at the back of the class. By the time they grow up, the theory goes, these folks are tired of always being last. So they take any opportunity they can to be first, whether it's in responding to a survey or purchasing some new electronic gadget.
According to this study, if your last name is Woods or Yoder, you'll be more likely to fall for a "buy now or miss out later" sales pitch than if your last name is Adams or Carson. I wonder how this works when you factor in name changes due to marriage? Since my maiden name begins with the letter G, I'm guessing this would put me more toward the group less likely to be an early adopter.
Anecdotal evidence bears this out. I'd never bother to sit in line outside a big-box store to wait for the latest video-game console, but my husband and two older children have eagerly done just that. In winter.
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