Report · Culture

Three-quarters at least sometimes excuse a dating red flag as situational

Reading

When something feels off about a date, most Americans are willing to let it slide. Roughly three-quarters (74%) say they at least some of the time overlook a trait they dislike because they read it as situational, including 24% who do so often, very often, or always, according to a Verasight survey conducted May 11, 2026.

Rarely (11%) and never (4%) cover most of the rest, while another 11% say they have never dated.

Topline

single choice

Topline distribution

Three-quarters at least sometimes excuse a dating red flag as situational.

When you're dating someone, how often do you overlook something you don't like because you think it is situational?

  • Sometimes 33.2%
  • Occasionally 16.7%
  • Often 13.8%
  • Rarely 11.3%
  • Not applicable, I have never dated 10.8%
  • Very often 7.6%
  • Never 4.0%
  • Always 2.6%

2026 · base n 1,000 · +/- 3.3%

society

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Methodology

Full methodology
Mode
Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting
Field dates
2026-05-11 → 2026-05-11
Base (unweighted)
1,000
Margin of error
+/- 3.3%
Module
society

Source

Citation

Verasight SPSP Omnibus Survey #2026-045, fielded May 11-11, 2026, N=1,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.3%.

https://reports.verasight.io/r/spsp26

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
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Transparency
Verasight is a member of the American Association for Public Opinion Research Transparency Initiative.

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