Founded in 1946, the Surveys of Consumers (SCA) promotes the importance of consumer spending and saving decisions in determining the course of the national economy. Each month, the survey interviews a minimum of 800 people to collect samples representative of all American households. SCA is proven to be an accurate indicator of the national economy’s future course.

Encouraged by the University of Michigan, Likert (1903–1981), Angus Campbell, and others came to Ann Arbor in 1946 to set up the Survey Research Center, one of the units out of which the Institute for Social Research ultimately evolved. Likert was an organizational psychologist and developer of the Likert Scale, a widely used approach to scaling responses in survey research. Likert also developed a system for identifying organizational styles, ranging from System 1 (Exploitive Authoritative) to System 4 (Participative Group) and the use of open-ended questioning in survey research, a new technique in the 1930s when close-ended questions were used as attempt to keep surveys objective.

Likert was known for his support of interdisciplinary collaborations and emphasis on using social science research to effect positive change.

On June 21, 1946, the University of Michigan Regents approved the establishment of the Social Science Surveys Project. The name was changed to the Survey Research Center, to be administered under the direction of Dr. Rensis Likert.

Read the entry in the Regents’ September special meeting minutes.