Sharp-shinned Hawk
Remember when K-12 schools had seating charts in alphabetic order? Have you ever wondered what effects these charts had on us — especially for those of us whose last names were at the end of the alphabet?
Recently, a marketing study conducted by researchers from Georgetown and Belmont Universities addressed this issue from a standpoint of its impact on purchasing behavior. http://www.upi.com/Business_News/2011/01/23/Surnames-can-determine-buying-behavior/UPI-58481295760541/. The study suggests that people whose surnames are toward the end of the alphabet purchase products more quickly, and that this behavior is attributable to their being last in line throughout their K-12 schooling days.
Since my initials are WW, I was seated in the back corner of every classroom due to the rigid adherence to seating charts practiced by the Illinois K-12 schools I attended. Ironically, this positioning also fostered my interest in birding. How? Because I sat next to the window with trees nearby, and could watch the birds moving through them. The action in the trees was closer in proximity than the action at the front of the class. Just for the record, I do make purchasing decisions quickly.
