Nuttin’s Affective Selfparticles Hypothesis and the Name Letter Effect: A Review

Abstract

The original studies on the name letter effect (NLE) — an enhanced attractiveness of the letters occurring in one’s own name (NLs) as compared to the attractiveness the same letters would have being not-own name letters (NNLs) (Nuttin, 1985, 1987) — are reviewed in the context of J.M. Nuttin (Jr.)’s original research interest—the affective selfparticles hypothesis or the affective consequences of mere belongingness to the self for isolated stimulus elements. The broad implications of the NLE arc briefly discussed. A series of studies is reviewed, designed to compare two alternative explanations (the primacy of mastery of NLs (own name letters) hypothesis and the subjective familiarity hypothesis) with Nuttin’s affective selfparticles hypothesis. Finally, the implications of the NLE are reconsidered in the light of new research data.