Middle name initials enhance evaluations of intellectual performance 

So now you know. Add that middle initial and look more clever…

Middle name initials often appear in formal contexts, especially when people refer to intellectual achievements. On the basis of this common link, the display of middle initials increases positive evaluations of people’s intellectual capacities and achievements. We document this effect in seven studies:

Source: The impact of middle names: Middle name initials enhance evaluations of intellectual performance – Tilburg – 2014 – European Journal of Social Psychology