Center stick vs side stick

from almost 4 decades ago a US military analysis:

Accession Number : AD0720846

Title : A Comparison of Pilot Performance Using a Center Stick VS Sidearm Control Configuration.

Descriptive Note : Technical rept. May-Oct 68,

Corporate Author : GENERAL PRECISION INC BINGHAMTON N Y LINK GROUP

Personal Author(s) : Geiselhart,Richard ; Kemmerling,Paul ; Cronburg,James E. ; Thorburn,David E.

Report Date : NOV 1970

Pagination or Media Count : 54

Abstract : Six Air Force pilots having current flying status flew a series of forty-minute missions to compare pilot performance with the conventional center stick, dual side stick, and single side stick configurations. An F-111 flight simulator with three degrees-of-motion was employed as the test-bed for the experiment. The missions, which included climbout, a terrain following portion, two banking turns, and five Instrument Landing System (ILS) approaches, were designed to test the feasibility of side stick controllers under low-altitude, high-speed conditions. Course steering deviation, airspeed deviation, pitch deviation, and ILS evaluation scores were obtained using the computer to compare pilot performance using the three stick configurations. From the evaluation of the performance data and opinion questionnaires filled out by the pilots, it was concluded that side stick controllers are feasible for use in a relatively high-speed aircraft flying a low-altitude, high-speed mission, and that dual side sticks are preferable to single side sticks. Recommendations were made for further studies in several areas. (Author)

Descriptors : *CONTROL STICKS, *PILOTS, CONFIGURATIONS, PERFORMANCE(HUMAN), FLIGHT SIMULATORS, FLIGHT TESTING, MANEUVERABILITY, LOW ALTITUDE, JET FIGHTERS.

Subject Categories : ATTACK AND FIGHTER AIRCRAFT
PSYCHOLOGY

Distribution Statement : APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

so these days we got the F-16, F-35 and F-22 with side stick.
Europe got the Rafale and thats it.
Russia – Su-37
so why did many others, like F-18, Peter Gripen, other Flankers, Fulcrums, J-10s, FC-1s, Texas, etc sticking to center stick? I read somewhere that it provides a perceived feeling of goodness of pilots being able to choke their yoke.