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The Detroit Area Study is an ongoing series of surveys conducted by the Department of Sociology at the University of Michigan. These surveys serve two purposes: to provide useful survey information about various population characteristics and social issues selected as topics by principal investigators, and to provide actual survey research experience for graduate students. This study explores two topics related to social psychology. Attitude-behavior consistency was measured by asking respondents about their television viewing and their attitudes toward television violence. Follow-up interviews were conducted by telephone to ascertain respondents' actual television viewing. In addition, some respondents were asked to sign a petition regarding violence on television. The study of attribution was conducted by reading respondents a series of vignettes and then asking several questions regarding the characters' responsibility for their actions.

For this survey, respondents from three counties in the Detroit, Michigan, area were queried about their social attitudes, racial attitudes, religion, community participation, and personal interactions. With respect to social attitudes, respondents' views were elicited on education, taxes, community service, participating in surveys, and privacy issues. Other questions closely examined respondents' attitudes toward African Americans in the Detroit area. Those queried were also asked to name community organizations they belonged to, and to list where in the Detroit area they went for shopping, medical care, entertainment, and recreation. Additional questions asked for detailed educational background information, religious attitudes, and place of worship. Background information includes marital status, employment, political orientation, and income.