- Mark Dolliver

Given the sorry track record people's New Year's resolutions have, it's a wonder the tradition of making such vows is still with us. But it is, as documented by a Marist Poll this month.

Respondents split almost evenly between those saying they're at least somewhat likely to make a New Year's resolution (48 percent) and those saying they're not likely to do so (52 percent). Men were more likely than women to say they'd be making resolutions (53 percent vs. 44 percent).

You can judge for yourself whether this means men are more virtuous or merely more comfortable with making vows they're likely to break. There was also a wide gap between respondents under age 45 and those 45 and older. Sixty percent of the younger cohort said they're likely to make a resolution, vs. 40 percent of the older group.

Among respondents who said they made a resolution last year, 65 percent claim to have kept it. But another of the findings gives reason to wonder whether some people who didn't keep their resolutions simply forgot having made them in the first place. When asked whether they made a New Year's resolution last year, 33 percent said they did -- i.e., markedly (if not suspiciously) fewer than the number saying they're likely to make one this year.

The survey also inquired into the subject matter of people's resolutions. "Lose weight" was the leading vote-getter among people who said they'd probably make a resolution, cited by 22 percent of the women and 16 percent of the men. "Stop smoking" was the runner-up, picked by 13 percent of the men and 11 percent of the women. Women were a bit more likely than men to choose "exercise more" (11 percent vs. 9 percent) but less likely than men to pick the ambitious "be a better person" (8 percent vs. 10 percent). "Get a better job" was the resolution of choice for 10 percent of the men and 6 percent of the women. Forty-two percent of respondents said their resolution would be in the catch-all "other" category.