Last but not least: When the cell phone number plays fate
Researchers at the University of Würzburg claim to have discovered that callers may feel uncomfortable if the sequence of digits forms an unpleasant word when displayed as text in a text message.
As the university reported according to Spiegel Online, psychologist Sascha Topolinski asked a total of 198 test subjects to dial the numbers 54323 or 534243. The test subjects were then asked to indicate how pleasant it was for them to enter the respective combinations. What the people did not know: when texting, the key sequence 54323 produces the word "love", whereas the key sequence 534243 produces the word "corpse". It turned out that the test subjects liked the one that corresponded to "love" more than the other.
In another experiment, the psychologist had his test subjects call companies whose telephone numbers produced words that either matched the industry or did not match at all. The test subjects found the companies attractive if their numbers in SMS mode produced words that matched their associations with the companies.
These findings can certainly be important - and not just for companies. If, despite swapping cell phones, you still don't get a call from the hot date you had the night before, so you wallow in self-pity, lose a few kilos, perhaps even run to the plastic surgeon in despair, only to realize afterwards that life is still just as mean, there is hope in sight: applying for a new cell phone number could help. But then please make sure that the key sequence doesn't say "please marry immediately" or "hysterical kindergarten teacher with a need to control", but something nice. Then success in love is pre-programmed. For sure.
