A preliminary review of findings and implications of social science research utilization among government officials is provided. The data come from face-to-face interviews of 204 persons at the upper levels of decision making in the executive branch of the federal government. Section one presents descriptive data on the diversity of the self-reported use of social science knowledge by the respondents, on the particular characteristics of that knowledge, on the extent of its use, and on its impact on the policy decisions involved. Section two identifies and conceptualizes factors that facilitate or inhibit the use of social science knowledge in policy-related decisions. Section three presents an analysis of responses to questionnaire items focusing on the desirability and value of a set of quantitative measures to indicate social well-being. This section adds new insights that underscore the importance of such efforts to apply social research to policy activities. Section four summarizes the overall findings of the study and presents general remarks about their implications for policy makers and social scientists. (Author/DE)