# Americans are evenly split on whether people can really change

Canonical page: https://data.verasight.io/culture/americans-are-evenly-split-on-whether-people-can-really-change/

> Indexed question in Culture.

## Reading

A narrow majority of Americans (51%) agree that a person's basic character cannot change much, while 49% disagree, according to a May 2026 Verasight survey.

That agreement is mostly mild: somewhat agree is the largest single response at 31%, and only 4% strongly agree. Firm disagreement is just as rare, at 6%.

## Topline

Please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statement: The kind of person someone is is something very basic about them, and it can't be changed very much.

Americans are evenly split on whether people can really change.

Net findings combine adjacent response options from the same scale.

- Somewhat agree: 31.0%
- Somewhat disagree: 26.2%
- Disagree: 17.0%
- Agree: 15.4%
- Strongly disagree: 6.1%
- Strongly agree: 4.3%

## Methodology

- Mode: Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting
- Population: US adults age 18+
- Field dates: 2026-05-11 → 2026-05-11
- Base (unweighted): 1,000
- Margin of error: +/- 3.3%
- Module: society
- Sponsor: Verasight
- Weight variable: weight
- Weighting targets: age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status

## Source

- Canonical question URL: [https://reports.verasight.io/r/spsp26#q-5.20](https://reports.verasight.io/r/spsp26#q-5.20)

## Citation

Verasight SPSP Omnibus Survey #2026-045, fielded May 11-11, 2026, N=1,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.3%.

Canonical question URL: [https://reports.verasight.io/r/spsp26#q-5.20](https://reports.verasight.io/r/spsp26#q-5.20)