If it is by undergrads then I think the purpose of these studies are to learn how to do a study - IYSWIM.
Setting up a serious study is not something that comes to people automatically and they get practice at thinking out how to select a suitable sample, double-blind the method so that they don't prejudge results, ask the right questions and analyse the results statistically to make sure they are significant.
If it is by post-grads then you would think they would choose something that needed clarifying, but perhaps their supervisor wished it on them, after setting themes for hundreds and running out of ideas? If they have to do a thesis and everyone has bagged the good ones, it must get tricky to find new ideas.
Then the newspapers get hold of a study with potential for causing hilarity and make the most of it - you can't blame them too much either. No-one is likely to find much that is newsworthy in research into the original rhythms of music composed several centuries ago and written down in a different style to modern manuscripts, with no guidance to the performers, despite it actually being useful to musicians playing these pieces now. That is the subject of my GS's thesis.