Worried the Christmas spirit has been cast aside like a lousy gift amid a frantic, commercialized holiday rush that cranks up even before Halloween’s pumpkins start to shrivel? [continue reading…]

Do you like your name and initials? Most people do and, as past research has shown, sometimes we like them enough to influence other important behaviors. For example, Jack is more likely to move to Jacksonville and marry Jackie than is Philip who is more likely to move to Philadelphia and marry Phyllis. Scientists call this phenomenon the “name-letter effect” and argue that it is influential enough to encourage the pursuit of name-resembling life outcomes and partners. [continue reading…]