Report · Culture

Animal avoidance is widely read as meaning "no"

Reading

In a Verasight survey of 1,000 U.S. adults conducted May 11, 2026, 82% of Americans agreed that if an animal tries to avoid something a human wants it to do, the human should treat that as the animal saying "no." Including 30% who strongly agree, 34% who agree, and 19% who somewhat agree.

Few Americans disagreed (5%), with 2% who somewhat disagree, 2% who disagree, and 1% who strongly disagree. Another 12% were neutral.

Topline

response scale

Topline scale

82% of Americans say an animal avoiding something should be treated as the animal saying "no."

Please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statement: If an animal tries to avoid something a human wants it to do, the human should treat that as the animal saying "no."

  • Agree 33.7%
  • Strongly agree 29.6%
  • Somewhat agree 18.8%
  • Neither agree nor disagree 12.4%
  • Somewhat disagree 2.1%
  • Disagree 2.0%
  • Strongly disagree 1.3%

2026 · base n 1,000 · +/- 3.3%

daily_life

View source

Methodology

Full methodology
Mode
Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting
Field dates
2026-05-11 → 2026-05-11
Base (unweighted)
1,000
Margin of error
+/- 3.3%
Module
daily_life

Source

  • 01
    Animal avoidance is widely read as meaning "no"reports.verasight.io/reports/spsp26

Citation

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

https://reports.verasight.io/reports/spsp26#q-daily_life-3

Verasight survey methodology

How Verasight conducts surveys.

This page describes the Verasight general survey contract, separate from how the Data Library packages it. Each wave's specific field dates, sample sizes, and module breakdown are listed in that wave's report.

Mode
Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting.
Population
US adults age 18+.
Sample design
Surveys are run as omnibus or single-topic waves. Omnibus waves are split into modules with their own respondent set, typically around one thousand respondents per module.
Field window
Each wave specifies its own field dates. Most omnibus waves field across roughly two weeks.
Weighting
Per-module weighting to CPS targets including age, race and ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, and metropolitan status.
Partisanship benchmark
Pew Research Center's NPORS benchmarking surveys, three-year running average.
Vote benchmark
2024 presidential vote population benchmarks.
Margin of error
Typically about plus or minus 3.4 to 3.6 percent per module at standard module sizes. Question-level MoE is recomputed when a base shrinks materially below the module baseline.
Reporting
Every wave is published as a standalone report at verasight.io/reports with full instrument and methodology.
Transparency
AAPOR transparency standards.

Wave-specific methodology, full weighting variable lists, and verbatim instrument text live in each report at verasight.io/reports.