At the core of the Institute’s mission is a commitment to generating both qualitative and quantitative research data on entertainment’s impact on audience attitudes and behaviors. In order to better understand the impact of socially conscious messaging through mass media and entertainment, the Institute asks such questions as:
• How are U.S. consumers influenced by the entertainment they watch?
• How do audiences make personal decisions regarding social issues like climate change, health care, or civic engagement?
• What barriers prevent viewers from taking action?
The Institute’s social science methodology focuses on formative research as well as impact evaluation. Much of the data is collected using surveys, public opinion polling, online panels, and innovative new media tools.
Research findings are then used to craft products that successfully reach mass media consumers through the mediums they already know and trust. The Institute packages new findings with existing social science literature in a format that is utilized by media makers to communicate more effectively with audiences.