What data do Understanding Society collect?
Understanding Society is a study of people within their household context. We interview all members of the household over the age of ten and re-interview them annually, as the Study is longitudinal. A sub-set of the Understanding Society sample can be traced back to 1991 using the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS). This design means we collect information which captures the interactions between people and their households with transport and environment behaviours; changing household circumstances, personal and household actions and evolving beliefs.
We ask children and adults regularly about their environmental behaviours and beliefs. Each year we ask households about their private transport and we regularly ask employees about their commutes to work.
To find out about the specific questions asked in the Study use the index terms where you can search for environment and transport variables including environmental issues, transport and values, opinions and attitudes. The questionnaire modules show the areas covered in each wave of the Study and allow you to see the actual questions asked in the survey.
Consultation on new environmental attitudes module
We have recently consulted researchers on our questionnaire content on green behaviour and developed a new module on environmental attitudes. You can read the Working Paper with the outcome of the consultation here.
Need help?
Visit our new user pathway to explore the data and online resources or contact the User Support forum if you have a question for the Study team.
Environmental policy, behaviour change and behavioural spillover
Prof Wouter Poortinga on whether the charging for shopping bags changes environmental behaviour.
Can governments encourage active travel?
Research from Dr Chance Pistoll and Prof Steven Cummins explores changes in active travel uptake across the lifespan.
Blog: Can education make us ‘greener’?
More years of schooling increase our understanding of climate change, but do they change our behaviour? Professor Nattavudh Powdthavee investigates.
Case study: Health and travel for older people
Read about how the Department for Transport used Understanding Society to understand more about the health of people aged over 50 and how it affects their travel behaviour.
Our Impact
The Department for Transport used Understanding Society data in a report which shows that health impairments associated with mobility, dexterity, physical coordination and other factors are related to a decline in the frequency of travel.
Research using our data has shown that human memory is significantly worse in parts of England with high levels of air pollution.
Find out more about the impact Understanding Society has on policy, and about how you can work with us to provide evidence for decision-makers.
