Personal effort often shapes assumptions about others
Core finding
In a Verasight survey of 1,000 U.S. adults conducted May 11, 2026, 80% of Americans said that when they are putting a lot of effort into something, they at least occasionally assume people around them are doing the same. This includes 2% who said almost always, 7% who said very often, 18% who said often, 32% who said sometimes, and 21% who said occasionally.
About one in five said they rarely or never make this assumption (20%), with 15% who said rarely and 5% who said never.
Topline distribution
80% of Americans at least occasionally assume others are putting in similar effort.
When you are putting a lot of effort into something, how often do you find yourself assuming that others around you are also putting in a lot of effort?
n = 1,000 · May 11, 2026 · MoE ±3.3%
Methodology
Full 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 | May 11, 2026 |
| Base (unweighted) | 1,000 |
| Margin of error | ±3.3% |
| Module | identity |
| Sponsor | Verasight |
| Weight variable | weight |
| Weighting targets | age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status |
Sources
- reports.verasight.io/r/spsp26
When you are putting a lot of effort into something, how often do you find yourself assuming that others around you are also putting in a lot of effort?
Cite this question
Verasight SPSP Omnibus Survey #2026-045, fielded May 11-11, 2026, N=1,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.3%.