# Personal effort often shapes assumptions about others

Canonical page: https://data.verasight.io/culture/personal-effort-often-shapes-assumptions-about-others/

> Indexed question in Culture.

## Reading

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

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?

80% of Americans at least occasionally assume others are putting in similar effort.

- Sometimes: 32.0%
- Occasionally: 20.5%
- Often: 18.3%
- Rarely: 14.9%
- Very often: 6.8%
- Never: 5.1%
- Almost always: 2.3%

## 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: identity
- 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-3.5](https://reports.verasight.io/r/spsp26#q-3.5)

## 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-3.5](https://reports.verasight.io/r/spsp26#q-3.5)