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NORC at the University Chicago

About

Foresight 50+ offers insights into the views and behaviors of Americans 50 and older, the fastest-growing age group in the country.

Foresight 50+ by AARP and NORC offers deep insight into the views and behaviors of Americans 50 and older. We partner with researchers and decision-makers to survey older Americans on everything from what they buy to what they think. We're the largest high-quality survey panel on this demographic, combining the consumer expertise of AARP with the scientific rigor of NORC to amplify the voice of the fastest-growing age group in the country.

Foresight 50+ is committed to making the needs, wants, and experiences of older adults not only heard, but understood. Our panel helps ensure that companies and organizations creating policies, products, and services that impact adults 50 and older do so with the best possible data. Foresight 50+ is the go-to research panel for clients interested in learning what makes this dynamic and influential group of older consumers tick. To find out more about the importance of the U.S. 50+ population, read more at AARP’s Data Stories.

Contact Us

Martha Cowley
Client Services Manager

A Closer Look

Offerings

Our main panel

A rapid-result option

Demographics

Our latest report demonstrating the sample representativeness of Foresight 50+

Technical Overview

Our latest report summarizing the procedures for creating the Foresight 50+ Panel

Foresight 50+ Experts

Foresight 50+ diagram showing four key features: Largest High-Quality Panel of Age 50+, Consumer Expertise, Diverse Representation, and Scientific Accuracy

Why Choose Foresight 50+

Size

Foresight 50+ is the largest high-quality research panel of Americans aged 50 and over. Researchers know that insights are only as good as the quality of the data they are based on. The dramatic decrease in telephone land lines makes it harder to create truly representative, high-quality panels. But Foresight 50+ combines proven sampling methods, such as mailings and phone calls, with in-person recruitment of participants. This ensures we’re reaching all corners of the nation.

Accuracy

NORC’s scientific rigor delivers reliable, actionable insights to decision-makers who can’t afford to be wrong. Much of the other research done on 50+ adults is based on skewed opt-in samples or very low response rates, which results in a distorted picture of this population.

Representation

We go the extra mile during recruiting to make sure every segment of the diverse 50-and-over population is represented on the panel. Foresight 50+ also engages its panelists online and on the phone, so that everyone has an opportunity to share their opinions regardless of whether, or how often, they go online. This intense focus on accurate representation means clients won't miss out on the thoughts of harder-to-reach audience segments — and won't make bad business decisions based on bad data.

Expertise

Foresight 50+ combines the consumer expertise of AARP with the trusted science of NORC to amplify the voice of this influential group of Americans. Americans 50 and older have demonstrated that they have significant buying power and political power. For instance, even though the 50-and-over population was less than 40% of the country in 2020, it was 52% of registered voters. Knowing what this group thinks is business-critical.

Customized Foresight 50+ Surveys

Older, dark-skinned woman smiling
We work with you to build surveys that answer your unique questions.

The large Foresight 50+ panel can oversample a variety of targeted groups, such as Medicare beneficiaries, grandparents, frequent travelers, etc. And with NORC's affordable TrueNorth methodology, Foresight 50+ can incorporate data from lower quality sample sources such as nonprobability panels to gain insight into even smaller subpopulations such as people with food allergies, veterans, and those with various health conditions.

News/Media

Case Studies

Mental Health in COVID Times

Case Study

For Americans aged 50 and over, the pandemic has increased loneliness and anxiety and made them worry more about the future.

Illustration of two heads, back to back, both wearing masks. One has long gray hair and dark skin, the other has lighter skin and short, dark hair.

Attitudes about Social Security

Case Study

As we mark the 85th anniversary of Social Security, a survey found enormous support for the program, with most American adults thinking it was even more vital during the pandemic.

Illustration of two female professionals in a workplace near a desk and file cabinet, with different skin tones and hair color.

Personal Tech and the Pandemic

Case Study

Americans aged 50 and over conquered social distancing by adopting technology, with a Foresight 50+ survey finding major increases in the use of personal devices and positive attitudes toward them during the pandemic.

Illustration of bearded man sitting at a laptop.

Difference Between Foresight 50+ and Opt-In Panels

Our scientific rigor and representative recruiting ensure results that are more accurate and dependable than nonprobability, opt-in surveys. While opt-in surveys can be lower cost, they’re also lower quality. Nonprobability samples have gaps that can produce misleading data, sending your business strategy in the wrong direction. But Foresight 50+ uses a pre-screened, nationally representative pool of participants from NORC’s highly valued AmeriSpeak Panel. This provides researchers with the infrastructure for rapid, reliable, and projectable data collections.

 

  • Foresight 50+ is a nationally representative sample. Households are selected randomly from NORC’s National Sample Frame, representing nearly all U.S. 50+ households.
  • Foresight 50+ uses U.S. mail notifications, telephone interviewers, and in‐person field interviewers to recruit panel households. We follow up multiple times with non-respondents to ensure a panel that represents all segments of America's diverse and evolving population.
  • We invest in recruiting panelists who can be hard to reach, such as rural and lower-income households, Spanish speakers, and less-educated people.
  • Because of this rigorous recruitment, Foresight 50+ surveys achieve the highest response rates of any multi-client research panel. Our multi-mode approach to engaging panelists and conducting surveys is critical to achieving a truly representative sample of the entire 50+ population.

Sample Foresight 50+ Data