Americans who make New Year's Resolutions behave more responsibly than they did five years ago, compared to those who are not planning on making a 2013 resolution.
The Responsibility Index, a national survey released by Liberty Mutual Insurance and Harris Interactive, surveyed 1,700 adults to find out who was making resolutions in 2013 and how people's definition of responsibility shapes their goals for the New Year. It also gauged how Americans define personal responsibility and how their perception of it changes with age, marital status, gender and whether they have children.
Adults are more likely to define personal responsibility as doing what's expected of you or what you're supposed to do (46 percent) than admitting to or owning mistakes (31 percent) or doing something especially hard or challenging (23 percent).
Recommended For You
The top resolutions for 2013 were fitness/exercise (43 percent), healthy eating (37 percent), family (26 percent), spirituality/faith (22 percent) and managing personal finances (22 percent).
While fitness and exercise and healthy eating were at the top of nearly all resolution lists, respondents differed on their third top resolution, with married adults choosing family and divorced/widowed adults choosing career or managing personal finance. Single adults also selected career among their top-three resolutions.
Parents are more likely than non-parents to make a resolution (46 percent vs. 33 percent), with moms being more likely than dads to make a resolution (50 percent vs. 41 percent).
Younger adults (aged 18-34) are more likely than their older counterparts (aged 50-64) to make a resolution (58 percent vs. 22 percent).
Single adults are more likely than married adults to make a resolution (47 percent vs. 30 percent).
The survey also found what Americans think their communities should do to become more responsible in the New Year, including volunteering (28 percent), living an environmentally friendly lifestyle (26 percent) and driving more safely (26 percent).
"Being responsible translates into taking care of everyday responsibilities like your health, family and career, which is why we see these factors as top New Year's resolutions for 2013," said psychiatrist Dr. Janet Taylor.
This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of Liberty Mutual Insurance between Sept. 24 and Oct. 2, 2012, among 1,770 U.S. residents aged 18-64.
Boston-based Liberty Mutual Insurance is a diversified global insurer and the third-largest property and casualty insurer in the U.S. based on 2011 direct premiums written, as reported by the National Association Of Insurance Commissioners.
© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
