Research: Studying Facts Of Life

Academia has the reputation of being out of touch with real life. But Prof. John Trinkaus, of Baruch College's Zicklin School of Business in New York, seeks patterns in checkout lines, commuters and brussels sprouts. He's published more than 100 studies and recently won an Ig Nobel Prize--a semijoke accolade presented to scientists outside the mainstream. A sample:

Ninety percent of people extracting rolls or pastries from displayed stock at the supermarket used their hands for withdrawal instead of the tongs provided. In stores where tissues were provided, only 60 percent used their hands.

A 6 percent compliance rate with stop signs was observed in a suburb of a large Northeastern city. Women in vans were the least compliant--only approximately 1 percent stopped. Out of 700 parking violations in the fire zone of a suburban shopping center, women in vans accounted for 35 percent.

At a supermarket, only 15 percent of shoppers observed the item limit in the express line.

In a counting of positive replies to 419 questions on TV networks, 249 answers of "absolutely" were recorded, 117 of "exactly" and 53 of "yes."

Trinkaus began his "research" 25 years ago while on jury duty, fighting boredom by observing other jurors. It helps to have tenure, he says: "This is the stuff you hide until you're settled into a university."