# Roughly eight in ten try to avoid negative emotions in a typical week

Canonical page: https://data.verasight.io/culture/roughly-eight-in-ten-try-to-avoid-negative-emotions-in-a-typical-week/

> Indexed question in Culture.

## Reading

Most Americans (80%) say they want to avoid feeling negative emotions over the course of a typical week, and 36% agree strongly, according to a May 2026 Verasight survey of 474 U.S. adults.

About one-in-six (16%) are neutral, and just 5% disagree, including 1% who disagree strongly.

## Topline

I WANT TO AVOID feeling negative emotions over the course of a typical week.

Roughly eight in ten try to avoid negative emotions in a typical week.

Net findings combine adjacent response options from the same scale.

- Agree: 43.4%
- Strongly agree: 36.2%
- Neither disagree nor agree: 15.8%
- Disagree: 3.7%
- Strongly disagree: 1.0%

## 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): 474
- Margin of error: +/- 4.8%
- 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-3.19](https://reports.verasight.io/r/spsp26#q-3.19)
- Canonical question URL: [https://verasight-spsp-2025.tiiny.co#frequency-of-wanting-to-avoid-negative-emotions-variable-health_25](https://verasight-spsp-2025.tiiny.co#frequency-of-wanting-to-avoid-negative-emotions-variable-health_25)

## Citation

Verasight SPSP Omnibus Survey #2026-045, fielded May 11-11, 2026, N=474 US adults age 18+, +/- 4.8%.

Canonical question URL: [https://reports.verasight.io/r/spsp26#q-3.19](https://reports.verasight.io/r/spsp26#q-3.19)