To succeed in his studies, it is the work that pays the most. Nevertheless, other criteria are taking into account, one of which is quite unsuspected, is related to the initial of the surname.
At school, the notes are very important. They will notably allow you to assess your level and go into the upper class. To get good results, you have to work and revise. However, other criteria also take into account and in particular at the time of correction, even if they are minor compared to the work provided.
A team from the University of Michigan analyzed more than 30 million student assessment files and identified an interesting detail. In his studyshe focused on the notes allocated to students according to the order in which their duties were noted. They noticed differences and sometimes harder notes as the pile of copies decreased. The duties of students corrected last were often and generally less well rated than the first.
If the copies were classified in alphabetical order, the most disadvantaged initials were the last of the alphabet. More specifically, students whose family names started with A, B, C, D, or E received higher notes of 0.3 points (out of 100 possible) compared to a rating in a random order. Conversely, students whose family names at an initial between U and Z received 0.3 points less when the note was assigned in alphabetical order than when the copy was placed randomly.
If this difference remains minimal, it is still notable. Especially since the observation is the same on the assessments of the correctors: the lower the copy in the battery, the more the teachers’ comments are scathing, especially when it comes to dissertation or duty subject to interpretation, As in social sciences for example. Even when the correction is not made in alphabetical order, the observation is similar: “The first 10 duties have generally received about 3.5 points more than those noted from the 50th to 60th”, attests the study.
A relatively simple explanation takes shape: the more the teachers correct copies, the more the fatigue is present. They therefore become less patient with errors and thus more severe. Another American study also confirms the difference linked to the initials at school, but ensures that it goes further than points on the ratings. “Even if they were identical to all other respects, the person with the initial at the start of the alphabet was much more likely to be designated by teachers as an exceptional student,” says Jeffrey Zax, professor of economics economics and co-author of the study, in a press release.
Children with names and initials starting with A, B, C, D and E are therefore, once again, privileged. However, the researcher specifies that this phenomenon tends to decrease. Many other criteria come into consideration in academic success in parallel with the quantity of work provided: the place of residence, the environment, the family …