Shopaholic? It's all in your surname--study

According to the study findings, published in the 'Journal of Consumer Research,' surname of a person determines how quickly he/she reacts to a consumer opportunity as grown-ups.

Those having surnames starting with letters up in the alphabet (A-I) are slower in purchasing, while those having surnames starting with letters down in the alphabet (R-Z) respond faster to the consumer goods in market.

Lead researcher Kurt A. Carlson of Georgetown University and Jacqueline M. Conard of Belmont University, said, “The tendency to act quickly to acquire items such as those above is related to the first letter of one's childhood surname.

"The idea holds that children develop time-dependent responses based on the treatment they receive," they said.

Study details and findings
In order to assess the link between the initial letter of a surname and the tendency to acquire “items of value,” the researchers conducted the study called the 'Last Name Effect.'

In one of the four experiments conducted by the researchers, participants were randomly chosen from the networking sites. These people were emailed the chance to win four free tickets to attend a highly-ranked women’s basketball game.

For this, participants were required to reply typing ASAP via email since the tickets were in limited supply and offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

It was found that those having surnames beginning with one of the last nine alphabets reported a response time of 19.38 minutes, while those having surnames beginning with first nine letters of alphabet recorded response time of 25.08 minutes.

"We find a systematic relationship between the first letter of a person's childhood last name and the speed at which they take advantages of opportunities to queue up," averred Carlson, also the assistant professor of marketing at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

Other experiments yielded similar results. There was an average 20 to 25 percent difference in the response time between the Abotts and the Zimmermans.

Childhood inequality: reason behind wanting too much?
Scientists believe that people whose last names begin with end of the line alphabets are more likely to jump on deals quickly, and endeavor to be at the front of any line because such people have witnessed entrenched reaction to inequality in their childhood.

Such people who have probably spent their lives at the back of classrooms are quicker to grab opportunities as adults, the study authors noted.

What about the mid way alphabets (J-Q)? “Those of us in with last names that fall in the middle of the alphabet, J through Q, will still respond according to our place in the queue,” the researchers explained.

“It’s a continuous line through the alphabet,” Prof. Carlson said, of the results of response times through the experiments.

“No study is perfect,” Prof. Carlson added. “But my co-author’s maiden name is Yates and she jumped at the chance to work on this paper immediately.”