Stories
These short pieces are based on information held in the Archive and aim to demonstrate that there is no such thing as ‘out-of-date research’. However long ago the work was originally commissioned, these data are available to add insight for those eager to explore the dynamics of change. We hope you enjoy browsing through our stories – and please check back from time to time as we regularly add new material here. Our most recent stories are listed first.
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A Bird’s Eye view of trends in convenience foods
Much has changed in the convenience food sector. But by being alert to trends, Birds Eye has...
The rise of the sandwich culture
To mark British Sandwich Week, 17-23 May, we have identified some issues relevant to the...
How are we feeling?
Measuring the mood of the nation: with lives and livelihoods both under threat at present, the...
Don’t tell me what to do!
Any relaxations in lockdown restrictions, however cautious, shift the burden of responsibility a...
Not going out
Staying in is set to be our new reality, for however long it proves. Going for an evening out is...
The NHS: changing attitudes and expectations
With the nation applauding from their doorsteps, it is clear that belief in the care and...
Fit for the future
As we hunker down, with most of us spending the majority of our time at home, it’s important to...
The hayfever phenomenon
Hayfever afflicts over three times as many of us today as it used to do. 27% of GB adults reported...
Lessons in Labour Leadership
With the 2020 Labour leadership contest reaching towards its climax in April, what lessons are...
A simple measure of the growth in environmental awareness
The continuous consumer study TGI has asked for respondents’ opinions on a range of topics since...
The decline in reliance on experts (for product recommendations)
“People in this country have had enough of experts”, Michael Gove was famously quoted as saying in...
In the UK, smacking the children was always for the parents to decide
At the end of the long summer holiday, many parents may feel the need for a rest from the day-long...
Education Choices
As our schools reassemble after the long summer break, we can look at attitudes towards parents’...
Binge drinking is OK for an increasing minority
Most people disapprove of heavy drinking sessions, but there’s an increasing minority who think...
The rise of the MAMIL
The MAMIL may be a recently-minted humorous acronym for a certain breed of cyclist – the...
The decline of tobacco and the growth of e-cigarettes
The decline in smoking in Britain has been happening for a long time. Data from Kantar’s TGI show...
Harris Poll Overview: 1969-1972
Among the most relevant uses of the material in the Archive of Market and Social Research (AMSR)...
British reservations about Europe have been apparent for at least 50 years
Teresa May’s tenure as UK Prime Minister was characterised by her insistence on honouring the 52%...
The Meaning of Easter in 21st Century Britain: Chocolate not Christianity
Survey research data makes it clear that our knowledge and practice of Christianity is in full decline.
The Way We Were, 1938-1939
Perhaps the earliest and most comprehensive measurement of British attitudes on political and...
Boomers are not the biggest boozers
The ‘Boomer’ generation are often claimed to be the nation’s heaviest wine drinkers. Analysis of...
Women in the Workplace
The Archive of Market and Social Research (AMSR) is collecting a record of research on behaviours,...
How research helps us understand loneliness
For many, Valentine’s Day is an occasion for declarations of love. For others, it might prompt...
Sponsorship of the Football World Cup in 1986
At the1987 MRS Annual Conference, whose papers are stored in the archive*, it was reported that...
The Founding of Gallup International
Those interested in the historical perspectives of the polling industry may be interested to see...
The Rationale for Investment in Gold
The World Gold Council’s Annual Review of 2017 asserts that there has been “a profound shift in...
Perceptions of Contraception
A report in the Autumn 1988 issue of Survey Magazine*, now freely accessible in the Archive,...
Obesity Concerns
An Autumn 1988 Survey Magazine article, now easily accessible in the Archive via www.amsr.org.uk...
Happiness…but only in moderation
It’s not easy to move the happiness needle upwards. Thirty years of societal and economic changes...
Tracking the mood of the 1990s: the MORI Misery Index
“In Britain and all across Europe there seems to be a rising tide of pessimism and unhappiness”...