Wettbewerbsvorteile aufgrund des Vornamens?
Feldexperimente auf dem Beziehungs-, Nachhilfe- und Wohnungsmarkt 
Laura Lütkenhöner
December 2012

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Abstract 

Competitive Advantages due to Forenames?
Field Experiments on the Relationship, Private Lessons, and Residential Market 

Lütkenhöner (2011) designed an experiment analysing whether or not market success is affected by one’s forename. To that end twelve fictional market participants were created. For each of them classified ads were placed in (real) magazines, pretending (1) to be looking for a relationship, (2) to offer private lessons, and (3) to be looking for an apartment. When analysing the results of the experiment for the first time, the author exclusively focussed on quantities and counted the number of persons who contacted the fictive persons. The present discussion paper adds further results. Calculations of binary logistic regressions reveal that persons bearing less attractive German forenames are significantly less likely to receive answers to their relationship ads than persons with attractive German forenames. Moreover, in the relationship market the fictive person’s odds of being contacted are significantly higher if he or she and the reader have related nationalities.