How do you decide which films to go and see and what determines if they succeed? A study (in Psychology and Marketing) shows that the genre (drama and comedy being the most successful), star power and reviews all contribute but that none, alone, are crucial. Stars only contribute more to success if the film is in an obscure genre, like foreign-language films - paying top dollar for a name does not work in already popular genres. Likewise, reviews do not affect success if the genre is popular but bribe those reviewers if you are making an obscure road movie. Star power did not improve performance if reviews were positive. Implication: ignore all modern movies unless your friends insist it's unmissable.

If a child spends lots of time playing violent computer games, it is changing his brain. Boys whose brains were observed while playing showed the same patterns as ones in real violent situations, with emotions like empathy being reduced in order to feel no pity for victims. Also, frequent players who were healthy showed the same pattern as boys diagnosed with behaviour disorders.

Rates of psychosis in first-generation immigrants to Sweden are between three and six times higher than indigenous Swedes (Psychological Medicine). Rates among second-generation immigrants are the same as indigenous Swedes. Implication: Psychoses, such as schizophrenia, are hugely influenced by social circumstances (eg Afro-Caribbeans are up to 16 times more likely to be diagnosed with it than indigenous Britons).