Proper names are by no means just smoke and mirrors, nor are they purely arbitrary references to people, as some philosophers such as G. Frege apparently thought. This applies all the more to nicknames. We all know nicknames and may have been (given) one or more ourselves - which makes it all the more surprising that there is hardly any research on nicknames - is there?
We finally shed some light on the matter: Is the spice of nicknames in the brevity, or do nicknames perhaps have other characteristic phonetic features? Is there a connection between personality traits and nicknames? To what extent does the social situation (e.g. in the family, at work, among friends or in love) influence how we use nicknames? Are we perhaps perceived as younger when we are introduced with nicknames? Do (some) animals use (something like) nicknames? How do nicknames, swear names and pet names differ? If these questions appeal to you, come and see us!
We would also like to invite you to take part in one of our ongoing research projects at our stand. You can choose to report your impressions of other people we introduce to you with (nick)names in a small computer experiment, or alternatively report your own experiences with nicknames in a questionnaire - both only take a few minutes. (Almost) everything you ever wanted to know about nicknames - find out at this stand!
