You may know someone who has given a name to their car, talks about their laptop as if it has a personality, or keeps an old stuffed toy because it has been part of their life for years. While this behavior can appear unusual at first, psychology suggests it may reflect a common feature of how people relate to the world around them.
The tendency to assign human qualities to non-human things is known as anthropomorphism. Research suggests that people who give personal names to their possessions may be somewhat more likely to anthropomorphize objects.
That does not mean that everyone who names a possession believes it has feelings or thoughts. The relationship is more nuanced and can involve memory, familiarity and emotional meaning.
Naming
A 2021 study titled The Influence of Anthropomorphism on Giving Personal Names to Objects, published in Advances in Cognitive Psychology, examined whether naming possessions was related to anthropomorphic thinking.
Psychologist Serge Brédart surveyed 130 participants and asked whether they had ever given a personal name to an object during adulthood. Participants who had named an object were also asked whether they had attributed psychological characteristics to it.
The results showed that participants who had given names to objects scored significantly higher on measures of anthropomorphism than participants who had never done so.
There was an important qualification, however. About 40% of participants who had named an object said they did not attribute psychological characteristics to it.
This means naming a possession does not necessarily indicate that someone believes the object can think, feel or act intentionally. A name can simply be a familiar way of identifying something that has become personally significant.
Identity
Giving an object a personal name can change how we refer to it and, potentially, how we mentally categorize it.
There is a difference between saying “my old car” and calling it “Charlie.” The first description focuses on what the item is. The second gives it an individual identity.
This distinction can become more meaningful when a possession has been part of someone’s life for a long time. An old bicycle may be connected with childhood memories. A suitcase may remind someone of an important journey. A mug may become associated with years of morning routines.
The physical object may remain ordinary, but the experiences connected with it can make it personally distinctive.
Memories
Possessions can serve as reminders of important experiences. In this sense, they can function somewhat like physical records of personal history.
A watch inherited from a parent, for example, may have limited practical differences from another watch. Its emotional value can nevertheless be much greater because it is connected to a particular person and set of memories.
The same principle can apply to many everyday items. A piece of clothing, an old camera or a childhood toy may become difficult to discard because its meaning extends beyond its practical purpose.
Naming an object may be one way people express that relationship. The name gives the possession a specific identity within their personal history.
Attachment
Another study helps provide context for the relationship between anthropomorphism and attachment to possessions.
In a 2018 paper titled Object Attachment: Humanness Increases Sentimental and Instrumental Values, published in the Journal of Behavioral Addictions, researchers Cathy Kwok, Jessica R. Grisham and Melissa M. Norberg examined how people perceive and value objects.
The researchers studied 331 participants with excessive acquisition tendencies. They measured the extent to which participants perceived objects in human-like terms, as well as the sentimental and practical value participants assigned to those objects.
The study found that stronger anthropomorphism was associated with greater sentimental and instrumental value. Those forms of value were, in turn, associated with stronger attachment to possessions.
This provides one possible explanation for why some objects become difficult to replace. Once an item is associated with memories, personal experiences or human-like qualities, its importance may no longer depend solely on what it does.
Value
Consider two identical watches.
One was purchased recently. The other belonged to someone important and was present during several significant moments in the owner’s life.
From a practical perspective, the watches may perform the same function. Psychologically, however, their value can be very different.
The second watch carries a personal history that cannot be reproduced simply by purchasing another watch. Its value comes partly from what it represents.
This distinction between practical and sentimental value helps explain why people sometimes keep possessions that are no longer particularly useful. The object may serve as a reminder of a person, place or period in life.
Personality
People also frequently use personality-related language when describing everyday objects.
Someone might describe a car as reliable, a computer as temperamental or a printer as stubborn. Such descriptions do not necessarily reflect a literal belief that these objects have personalities.
Human beings often use familiar social concepts to describe interactions with the physical environment. Giving an object a personality can provide a simple way to describe repeated experiences with it.
For example, calling a malfunctioning printer “stubborn” may simply be a more conversational description of a recurring technical problem.
In other cases, however, the language can reflect a stronger emotional relationship with the possession.
Meaning
It is important not to treat the habit of naming possessions as a psychological diagnosis.
Naming a car or another personal object does not, by itself, indicate loneliness, emotional dependence or a mental health condition. Similarly, someone can develop a strong attachment to an object without ever giving it a name.
The available research mainly identifies associations rather than proving direct cause and effect. Brédart’s study found a relationship between object naming and higher anthropomorphism, while the 2018 research connected anthropomorphism with perceived value and stronger object attachment.
Together, the findings offer a useful perspective on a familiar aspect of human behavior. People do not always experience possessions simply as functional objects. Memories, routines and personal experiences can give ordinary items a meaning that goes beyond their physical purpose.
That may be why an old toy, a well-used car or a family watch can remain important long after its practical usefulness has declined. Giving such an object a name can be one small expression of that personal connection, although it does not necessarily mean the owner believes the object is alive or capable of having thoughts and emotions.
FAQs
Why do people name their possessions?
People may name objects to make them feel personal or familiar.
What does naming objects say about personality?
It may indicate a greater tendency toward anthropomorphism.
What is anthropomorphism in psychology?
Anthropomorphism means assigning human traits to non-human things.
Does naming objects mean they seem alive?
No. Many people name objects without believing they are alive.
Can anthropomorphism affect object attachment?
Research links stronger anthropomorphism with greater object attachment.
