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Living Up to a Name: Gender Role Behavior Varies With Forename Gender Typicality.
Gerianne M Alexander1, Kendall John1, Tracy Hammond2
1Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States.
Frontiers in Psychology
|February 8, 2021
Summary
Forenames signal gender, influencing socialization and behavior. "Gender-weak" names correlate with less gender-typical behavior and personality traits in adults.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Gender Studies
Background:
- Forenames act as gender proxies, activating stereotypes and socialization.
- Names vary in perceived masculinity or femininity, unlike rigid gender categories.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test if a forename's ability to signal gender relates to gender role behavior.
- To explore how forename gender perception affects socialization and identification.
Main Methods:
- Surveyed 215 women and 127 men on their forename's perceived gender strength.
- Assessed participants' childhood social behavior and gender-linked personality traits.
Main Results:
- Individuals with "gender-weak" forenames reported less gender-typical childhood social behavior.
- Those with "gender-weak" forenames showed weaker expression of gender-linked personality traits.
Conclusions:
- Forenames can strengthen or weaken gender socialization and identification.
- Forename perception contributes to variable gender role behavior within gender groups.
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