A study of 121 American MBA students (Psychology and Marketing) suggests that product plugging in TV news shows is more effective than plugging within a sitcom. The students were more likely to recall reference to Krispy Kreme donuts if they were mentioned by name by a news broadcaster rather than if embedded through plugging in an episode of Will and Grace. The researchers conclude that product placement is less effective than verbal plugging, and that narrative-based dramas are less so than news shows. Implication: Fiona Armstrong mentioning that she's starving and would kill for a box of Black Magic at the end of news bulletins.
It's not where you live but who you live with that matters (Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin). American first-year students were asked which of 12 dormitory houses they would like to live in, of very varying architectural splendour and amenities. They were also asked to predict how happy they expected to be in a year's time and what would affect this. They were then randomly assigned to the dormitories and interviewed a year later. The students vastly overestimated the importance of the dormitory's physical attributes in anticipating what would make them happy and underestimated the impact of how well they got on with their living companions. When the study was repeated with a second sample, the results were the same: overvaluation of material comfort. Implication: If you're thinking of moving house, beware the pathetic property fallacy.