Do You Use Somebody’s First Name or Last Name? The Answer Speaks Volumes

Psychology graduate student Stav Atir and Professor Melissa Ferguson write in this Wall Street Journal article about their research into the use of last names or first names based on gender.

"When discussing prominent figures in literature, we may mention such giants as Jane Austen, Hemingway, Dickens and Virginia Woolf. In contemporary politics, perhaps we’ll bring up Obama, Trump, Angela Merkel and Theresa May," they write. "Did you notice anything odd about the preceding paragraph? We referred to the women by full name and to the men by surname alone."

The pair said the practice is "common in many professional fields -- and it could be a disadvantage for women."

Read the entire Wall Street Journal piece.