Mr. Malhotra’s team conducted a second experiment, during the 2009 NCAA basketball March Madness championship tournament. In that case, they surveyed 3,040 people who lived in areas with teams in the tournament, asking each to name their favorite team.
The respondents were divided into two groups, one of which knew the results of the team’s play before being surveyed and the other, which did not know the results.
After the third and fourth rounds of the tournament, participants were asked to rate the performance of President Obama.
Mr. Obama, an avid basketball fan, received a 2.3 percentage point boost for each win from respondents who knew how their teams were performing.
The survey confirmed the football results, the researchers said, showing that well-being induced by game results affected people’s evaluations of the incumbent.
By Andrew P. Napolitano
The president's men trash the Constitution to pursue antagonists
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