Research Roundup 2024
At Galvanize Action, research informs every strategy every step of the way. Our latest research centers on understanding the factors that influence prosocial behavior in order to develop strategies that reach the right people with the right message to advance progress.
We’re conducting three major surveys this year. They’ll all help us build upon and refine our existing understanding of our audience, but we’ll learn very different information from each one. Refer back to this helpful guide as we discuss these research activities throughout the year!
1. Modeling survey: one large survey that will help us further refine our big-picture understanding of moderate white women.
This will be one large survey fielded to women during the first half of this year. All of these women will answer the same set of about 100 questions, which will include questions about key topics (e.g., abortion and the economy) as well as questions that shed light on barriers such as racial resentment, just world view, and social significance. This is a one-time survey.
EXAMPLE QUESTIONS
“To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement: Immigrants to the United States in general are making the country’s economy better.”“In recent years, there have been discussions about what is appropriate to teach or talk about in public schools. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement: Discussion of sexual orientation and/or gender identity in public schools should be banned.”
The modeling survey is all about deepening our understanding of our foundational research. Our analysis of the survey results will give Galvanize Action a more holistic understanding of the core traits and barriers that impact moderate white women’s civic behavior, including vote choice.
This is building upon the 2021 values segmentation survey we conducted with Grow Progress, which informs the vote driver map above. Our analysis will refine our understanding of our audience and it will also guide both our other qualitative research and our 2024 messaging.
2. Audience understanding surveys: repeated periodic “pulse check” surveys that provide up-to-date insights into where our audience is on issues at specific points in time.
These shorter, periodic surveys will be fielded to a nationally-representative sample of white women. These respondents will be different women each time. Women will respond to questions about relevant topics such as the economy, abortion, and how they feel about elected leaders. Some questions will contain an open-ended component, allowing women to expand on their views. Galvanize Action will analyze these responses to better understand shifting attitudes and opinions on key issues, particularly as Election Day grows closer.
EXAMPLE QUESTIONS
“To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement: The federal government has a responsibility to safeguard access to abortion without any restrictions. Why or why not?”
“Thinking about how abortion might affect your vote for president, would you:
1) Only vote for a candidate who shares your views on abortion
2) Consider a candidate’s position on abortion as just one of many important factors
3) Not see abortion as a major issue”
These periodic pulse checks will specifically offer us current, up-to-date insights into our audience’s opinions. These timely updates will help Galvanize Action gauge how events like Supreme Court rulings impact the attitudes and beliefs of our audience. It’s important to understand that these provide insights into a moment in time, not change over time, since different women are being polled in each wave.
3. Tracking survey: embedded in an in-field randomized controlled trial to gauge the effectiveness of Galvanize Action programming in real time.
Eight waves of surveys will be given to the same 12,919 white women in WI, PA, OH, MI, ME, NE, AZ, NV, MT, and FL. The first and eighth of these waves work as a randomized controlled trial, allowing us to measure the effect of our digital ads in the real world.
- Half of those women will be in the treatment group: they will see Galvanize Action ads.
- Half of those women will be in the control group: they will be blocked from seeing Galvanize Action ads.
Comparing the two groups will allow us to see how our programming affects responses to survey questions. The difference tells us something about our impact!
The tracking survey takes place in between that first (baseline) and eighth (post) wave. We’ll keep asking questions to keep an eye on changes over time! Some of the questions will be different from wave to wave to capture insights into important current events and pivotal moments in this year’s political landscape.
EXAMPLE QUESTION
“To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement: I trust that our current democratic model is the best system to safeguard all of our freedoms.“
These tracking survey results will help us get the right message to the right individual, but they also really help us use our resources effectively. By keeping an eye on changes over time, we’ll be able to quickly identify persuasion windows as they arrive, then quickly share opportunities with partners across the country.
We look forward to sharing more about what our award-winning research team learns this year! Stay tuned for updates and insights.
