Behaviour, preference and change
Preference Space
A Preference Space shows not only what people choose, but also which alternatives are nearby, which positions endure and where change encounters resistance.
E-canvasser connects research, behavioural and geographic data to make this underlying structure visible and actionable for strategy, communication and decision-making.
What becomes visible?
Three questions beneath every choice.
An outcome tells us what happened. Preference Space helps explain how firmly that outcome stands and what other movement may be possible.
Cost of movement
How large is the step from the current position to an alternative?
Stability of choices
Which positions endure and which are sensitive to change?
Risk at boundaries
Where can movement reverse, stall or produce an unexpected effect?
How it works
From question to actionable perspective.
1. Define the choice
Which specific attitude, preference or behaviour needs to be understood?
2. Examine the patterns
We test which signals and characteristics are statistically associated with the outcome.
3. Reconstruct the landscape
We connect relevant patterns with research, behavioural and geographic context.
4. Translate into decisions
We interpret the outcome in terms of opportunity, resistance, stability and potential movement.
From behaviour to audience profile
The patterns beneath behaviour and preference.
E-canvasser examines which characteristics are statistically associated with measured behaviour or an opinion. This creates a model-based audience profile that reveals differences, similarities and potential movement within groups or areas.
In previous communications, we used the terms Voter DNA and Citizen DNA. DNA is a metaphor: the profile describes statistical patterns within groups or areas. It says nothing about biological traits and does not determine what an individual thinks, wants or will do.
What the outcome does not claim
- Association does not automatically imply cause and effect.
- A group pattern is not an individual diagnosis.
- Every outcome requires an explanation of the data, assumptions and uncertainty.
Applications
One method, different questions.
Customer choices
Understand patterns in choosing, disengaging, switching and changing preferences.
Support
See where policy or change connects and where resistance calls for a different approach.
Political choices
Examine stable support, nearby alternatives and movement between parties or positions.
What Preference Space lies beneath your question?
Discuss a question involving behaviour, preference, support or change — or view the existing analyses in the portal.
