Skip to main content
← Back to Research

Moderation Tests: Heterogeneity in Causal ATEs

Which kinds of names and events show the strongest cultural adoption effects? Systematic moderator analysis across the causal ATE panel.

By Namesake ResearchApril 13, 2026

Moderation Tests: Heterogeneity in Causal ATEs

Each test examines whether the causal adoption effect (ATE from Phase 8a) varies systematically with a moderator variable.

#ModeratorEffect Sizet/F-statp-valuenSignificant?
1syllable_count0.01290.860.4645200No
2origin0.11961.630.0689196No
3rarity0.631183.400.0000200Yes
4trajectory0.01021.020.3631200No
5is_fictional_origin-0.0000-0.200.8409200No
6is_unisex_num0.00023.610.0004200Yes
7is_place_name0.00000.001.0000200No
8phonetic_neighborhood_size0.00000.710.4800162No
9sex_pct_male-0.0000-1.210.2285200No

1. syllable_count

ANOVA across 4 levels of syllable_count. Eta^2=0.0129. Group means: 1: -0.000011 (n=19), 2: 0.000058 (n=123), 3: 0.000083 (n=49), 4: 0.000232 (n=9)

Not significant (p=0.464). The adoption effect does not vary systematically with syllable_count.

2. origin

ANOVA across 16 levels of origin. Eta^2=0.1196. Group means: Arabic: -0.000029 (n=4), Celtic: 0.000180 (n=21), English: -0.000027 (n=47), French: -0.000050 (n=8), Germanic: 0.000024 (n=10), Greek: -0.000085 (n=7), Hebrew: 0.000291 (n=20), Irish: 0.000006 (n=12), Italian: 0.000024 (n=3), Latin: 0.000114 (n=20), Literary: -0.000029 (n=14), Mythological: -0.000059 (n=3), Persian: 0.000008 (n=4), Sanskrit: -0.000004 (n=7), Scottish: 0.000483 (n=7), Spanish: 0.000060 (n=9)

Not significant (p=0.069). The adoption effect does not vary systematically with origin.

3. rarity

ANOVA across 5 levels of rarity. Eta^2=0.6311. Group means: very_common: 0.001322 (n=10), common: 0.000231 (n=29), moderate: 0.000036 (n=30), rare: -0.000054 (n=82), very_rare: -0.000071 (n=49)

Significant at p<0.05. This moderator explains meaningful heterogeneity in how cultural events translate to adoption effects.

4. trajectory

ANOVA across 3 levels of trajectory. Eta^2=0.0102. Group means: declining: 0.000004 (n=45), flat: 0.000048 (n=48), rising: 0.000099 (n=107)

Not significant (p=0.363). The adoption effect does not vary systematically with trajectory.

5. is_fictional_origin

OLS coefficient of is_fictional_origin on ATE: beta=-0.000045, t=-0.20, p=0.8409

Not significant (p=0.841). The adoption effect does not vary systematically with is_fictional_origin.

6. is_unisex_num

OLS coefficient of is_unisex_num on ATE: beta=0.000209, t=3.61, p=0.0004

Significant at p<0.05. This moderator explains meaningful heterogeneity in how cultural events translate to adoption effects.

7. is_place_name

Error: index 1 is out of bounds for axis 0 with size 1

Not significant (p=1.000). The adoption effect does not vary systematically with is_place_name.

8. phonetic_neighborhood_size

OLS coefficient of phonetic_neighborhood_size on ATE: beta=0.000000, t=0.71, p=0.4800

Not significant (p=0.480). The adoption effect does not vary systematically with phonetic_neighborhood_size.

9. sex_pct_male

OLS coefficient of sex_pct_male on ATE: beta=-0.000001, t=-1.21, p=0.2285

Not significant (p=0.229). The adoption effect does not vary systematically with sex_pct_male.

2 of 9 moderation tests significant at p<0.05. Analysis based on 200 events.