Divided Opinions on Indicators to End Social Distancing in US


InnovateMR, a global leader in survey sampling solutions, has released the results from the second wave of the firm’s ongoing research to understand the impact of COVID-19 on consumer sentiment and behavior.

The second wave of the project surveyed 2,000 US consumers. Leveraging the company’s proprietary online consumer panel, PointClub.com, the sample was census balanced by age, gender, region, race, household size, and employment status. Insights were collected from April 17-April 23, 2020.

The results from the survey indicate that political affiliation is a strong driver for what Americans look to as an indicator to end social distancing efforts. Of conservative Republicans, only 20% are turning to Dr.Fauci or CDC officials to recommend a return to regular activity, a figure that jumps to 47% among liberal Democrats.

A mere 3% of liberal Democrats have an eye towards an announcement from President Trump to recommend an end to social distancing, a figure that only extends to 7% among other Democrats. At 24%, conservative Republicans represent the most significant swath of Americans waiting on Trump to give the go-ahead before they stop social distancing.

While Americans stand divided on some fronts, support of social distancing efforts crosses party lines, with nearly 9 out of 10 Americans supporting the initiative. Surprisingly, no significant regional differences emerged, despite recent protests covered by the media as well as regional hot-spots for the virus.

Innovate’s Chief Research Officer, Lisa Wilding-Brown, commented, “As we look forward to this next chapter, it is crucial to understand Americans’ priorities related to loosened social distancing measures.” Wilding-Brown continued, “Receiving a signal to move ahead from one source may work for some Americans, but not others. The results of our study indicate lifting stay-at-home orders may not be the immediate all clear Americans are seeking to resume typical activities, including a return to purchase behaviors to help stabilize the economy. We hope by sharing the results of our research, organizations are empowered to adapt for success in this rapidly changing environment.”

View an executive summary of the survey results here: https://lp.innovatemr.com/covid-wave-2

About InnovateMR

InnovateMR is a fiercely independent sampling company that delivers Faster Answers™ from business and consumer audiences. As industry pioneers, InnovateMR helps market research agencies worldwide answer business questions and uncover insights with online and mobile surveys. Established by industry forerunners who launched both goZing and uSamp, the company’s co-founders have spent over two decades in the online sampling industry developing innovative methodologies to harness research technology and survey audiences around the globe.

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