Verian is a world leading, purpose-led and independent research, evidence, evaluation, and communications agency, providing services to government and the public realm.
We work with our clients to help solve the next generation of public policy challenges.
At the recent ESRA Conference 2025 in Utrecht, our Evaluation & Behavioural Research Team from Germany presented new insights on why young people (14–30) often skip political survey questions – and how to design items that are easier to answer and keep them engaged.
Drawing on three large-scale youth studies in Germany, we identified two hidden item dimensions – experiential distance and judgement type – that explain why some questions work better than others. Our research brief turns these findings into practical tips for anyone designing political or societal surveys – especially for younger target populations.
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