Anyone who's read a newspaper more than once will know that surveys are a major industry.
Not a day goes by without at least 14 people being asked a question and the results being printed as legitimate news soon after. While some of them are illuminating (right?), most of them provide us with information that we already know.
Here are 7 of the most foregone survey conclusions ever discovered:
(Images: All Star, Rex Features, YouTube)
Men go for good-looking women
While women might have expected taste in books or cupcake baking skills to prove most important, apparently us men are most swayed by looks when it comes to choosing a mate. This shocking conclusion was discovered by a German study which involved men and women speed-dating and then giving their honest opinions. The research also discovered that women are choosier than men. Oh and that oranges are orange. [via FOX News]
People tell others about bad customer service more than good
Think back to the last time you had bad service. You probably ranted and raged at anyone who'd listen. Now think back to the last time you had good service. Nothing? Really? This study found that Americans are twice as likely to tell their friends about bad experiences at shops or restaurants. Which is no surprise as anyone who starts a conversation with "I just had the warmest interaction with a barman" is best to be avoided. [via Retail Customer Experience]
Old people prefer happy memories
When you're an old person, and sorry to those of you who already are, thinking back over your vast life will take up the majority of your later years. When choosing which moments to relive, what would make you happier? That day you got a kitten or that time you got shot? A study of people between 61 and 80 found that their brains choose to focus on more positive aspects of their past. Which means that you'll be saving a large space in your head for reading Shortlist.com, right? Right? [via NCBI]
Bullies pick on unpopular kids
Remember when high school bullies would pick on the kid that everyone loved, with loads of friends to defend them? Yeah, well neither do we. This predictable study discovered that both boys and girls will target classmates who aren't well-liked by others, giving them less chance of being attacked by their friends or upsetting the common view of their peers. Funny, we always pegged bullies as out-of-the-box thinkers... [via Live Science]
Young boys like cars
There's a wealth of information to be discovered from studying young children. For example, we're still keen to find out how they can see ghosts more than adults (right, Hollywood?). But putting a group of mixed toddlers in front of cars, balls, teddy bears and dolls and finding out which they prefer ain't worth the time. Unsurprisingly, boys preferred to play with cars while girls picked dolls. Strange, huh? [via BBC]
Prisoners don't like being in prison
While committing a crime, amidst the multitude of crazy thoughts that might be going through a criminal's head, the idea that doing this will hopefully send them to prison is unlikely. Prison, despite what tabloids might claim, isn't a great place to be. A police satisfaction survey aimed to find out the general morale of prisoners and, staggeringly, discovered that they're not always comfortable, the food is rubbish, they want more cigarette breaks and there's an unfair lack of in-room TVs. The poor rascals. [via Daily Mail]
People like to drink after a stressful day
Picture the scene: you get fired, dumped, evicted and hit with the sniffles in the same day. Where would you feel like going? If the word pub isn't flashing in your mind then the word bar surely is. A ground-breaking study by Drinkaware found that after a bad day, 61% of people head to the bottle to help them feel better. Even more ground-breaking was the discovery that women tend to go for wine while men go for beer. Yes, someone got paid to do this. [via The Telegraph]
