Immigrants and the Whiter-Shade-of-Pale Bonus

When the researchers examined the results of the personality tests, they found that the personality of the car and driver were far from a perfect match. Moreover, they found that the perceived personality of the car sometimes was a better predictor of aggressive driving tendencies than the owner's personality.

For example, people who thought of their car as friendly were more likely to behave better on the road, even if they were not particularly friendly people. "If people perceive their Corolla to be a jerk, they might drive more aggressively than if they thought their Mustang had a nice personality," Benfield said.

The car name game proved to yield little of scientific interest. People who named their cars were no more or less aggressive on the road than those who didn't. That's a surprise, given some of the names the students told researchers they gave their cars.

Among Benfield's favorites: Lolita, the Mini-Pimp and the Sweat-Box of Death.

Who Would Have Thought?Chocolate as a Depression Cure, And Rationalizing a BMW

· "Mood State Effects of Chocolate" by Gordon Parker, et al., Journal of Affective Disorders, Vol. 92, Issues 2-3. Australian psychiatrists find that chocolate may satisfy a sweet tooth, but it also prolongs feelings of depression and anxiety.

· "Honestly, Why Are You Driving a BMW?" by Olof Johansson-Stenman and Peter Martinsson, Goteborg University in Goteborg, Sweden, Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Vol. 60, Issue 2. Swedish economists conduct a survey and find that most Swedes considered their concern for status when purchasing a car to be minor in comparison with the status concerns of others. Most also believed that they were more environmentally concerned than other people.

Richard Morin is a senior editor at the Pew Research Center. This column is going on hiatus and will return later in the year.