Three-quarters assume a coworker is about as motivated as they are
Core finding
Most people assume their coworkers are cut from the same cloth. About three-quarters (77%) say a coworker is about as motivated as they are, according to a May 2026 Verasight survey of 474 U.S. adults.
The remaining quarter divides fairly evenly in both directions, and no other view comes close: seeing a coworker as slightly less motivated (8%) or slightly more (6%) are the next-most-common, with every other option in the low single digits.
Topline distribution
Three-quarters assume a coworker is about as motivated as they are.
Imagine you're at work or school and you feel highly motivated. You notice a colleague or classmate working on a similar task nearby. How motivated do you think they are?
n = 474 · May 11, 2026 · MoE ±4.8%
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) | 474 |
| Margin of error | ±4.8% |
| Module | identity |
| Sponsor | Verasight |
| Weight variable | weight |
| Weighting targets | age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status |
Sources
- reports.verasight.io/r/spsp26
How motivated do you think they are?
Cite this question
Verasight SPSP Omnibus Survey #2026-045, fielded May 11-11, 2026, N=474 US adults age 18+, +/- 4.8%.