Report · Culture

Roughly three-quarters prefer certainty over uncertainty

Reading

Roughly three-quarters of Americans (73%) prefer situations where outcomes are certain over uncertain ones, including 20% who strongly agree, according to a June 2025 Verasight survey of 490 U.S. adults.

Only 8% disagree, and 18% land in the middle, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

Topline

response scale

Topline scale

Roughly three-quarters prefer certainty over uncertainty.

Please indicate how much you agree or disagree with the following statement: I prefer situations in which outcomes are certain rather than uncertain.

  • Agree 35.5%
  • Strongly Agree 19.6%
  • Neither Agree nor Disagree 18.5%
  • Somewhat Agree 18.1%
  • Somewhat Disagree 4.4%
  • Disagree 2.5%
  • Strongly Disagree 1.4%

2025 · base n 490 · +/- 5.4%

ICA Conference Omnibus Survey #2025-058

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
2025-06-25 → 2025-06-30
Base (unweighted)
490
Margin of error
+/- 5.4%
Module
ICA Conference Omnibus Survey #2025-058

Source

Citation

ICA Conference Omnibus Survey #2025-058, fielded June 25-30, 2025, N=490 US adults age 18+, +/- 5.4%.

https://verasight-ica-2025.tiiny.co

Verasight survey methodology

How Verasight conducts surveys.

This page describes the Verasight general survey contract, separate from how the Data Library packages it. When a wave report is published, its field dates, sample sizes, and module breakdown are listed in that 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
The canonical report hub is reports.verasight.io. Verified legacy reports remain on their original hosts, and unpublished reports are marked pending.
Transparency
Verasight is a member of the American Association for Public Opinion Research Transparency Initiative.

The canonical report hub is reports.verasight.io; older reports may remain on verified legacy hosts.