Does pressure create diamonds? This old saying isn’t just a scientific fact, but an emotional truth for many Americans. Nearly half (45%) of Americans say they operate ‘better’ under pressure, outpacing the 27% who say they operate ‘worse’ and the 28% who say they’re ‘not sure.’ 

Of course, this demographic data is only a slice of what makes this group of consumers stand out. Here’s what the data show about those who say they operate better under pressure versus those who say they operate worse: 

Tax Prep Strategies: Those who say they operate better under pressure are 10 percentage points more likely to hire a personal accountant to prepare their tax returns than those who say they operate worse (28% vs 18%). 

Recycling Frequency: While 45% of those who say they operate better under pressure also recycle the most frequently at home, just 35% of those who say they operate worse under pressure report the same. 

Sports Interest: Those who say they operate better under pressure are nearly twice as likely to be highly interested in sports as those who operate worse under pressure (31% vs 17%). 

Spicy Food Favorability: While 70% of those who say they operate better under pressure are favorable towards spicy food, just 63% of those who say they operate worse under pressure say the same. 

Debt Outlook: Those who say they operate better under pressure are 10 percentage points more likely to believe they will have less debt in six months than those who operate worse under pressure (40% vs 30%). 

Where do you stand? Take this poll now and see how your preference compares with other Americans:

Clearly, whether you believe you operate better under pressure–or not–speaks volumes about who you are as a consumer, beyond a single stressful moment. From palette preferences to how you prepare your taxes, when the pressure is on, these consumers stand apart from the crowd.  

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This article’s data comes solely from CivicScience’s database, which contains nearly 700,000 poll questions and 5 billion consumer insights.