Being a victim . People often fear what they cannot control, and technology and the future of our economy are two aspects of life that Americans find very unpredictable at the moment. With a global reach of over 10 million monthly readers and featuring dedicated websites for science (Phys.org), Interestingly, there are clear partisan differences in views on the government's handling of terrorism with Democrats being more likely to believe government has done a good job compared with either Republicans or Independents. The second wave of the survey modified question wording such that all questions about fear use the same response categories: Very afraid, Afraid, Slightly afraid, and Not afraid. Consequently a comparison of fears between 2014 and 2015 should not be conducted without consultation with the researchers, who can explain the proper method for conducting comparisons across waves. Economics, College of Fear of pollution of drinking water increased from 44.6% (2020/21) to 54.5% (2022) moving it up over ten spots and placing it as the 6th greatest fear among the American public. The noticeable increase in the top ten fears have ranged from: 2016: 35.5% to 60.6% 2017: 44.9% to 74.5% 2018: 52.9% to 73.6% 2019: 55.7% to 77.2% Americans are becoming more afraid. Chapman University. In June of 2018, a random sample of 1,190 adults from across the United States were asked their level of fear about ninety-four different phenomena including crime, the government, the environment, disasters, personal anxieties, technology and many others. The Chapman Survey on American Fears included1,500 participants from across the nation and all walks of life. Phys.org is a part of Science X network. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: What do Americans fear most? 1 0 obj The survey also shed light on certain characteristics of people who believe in the paranormal. Of those surveyed only 29% were afraid of dying themselves, while 58.1% were afraid of a loved one dying. Many of the top 10 fears this year can be directly correlated to the top media stories of the past year. In the top 10 fears cited in the survey overall, "terrorist attack" ranks second, with 41 percent of Americans being afraid of a terror attackand more than 60 percent believing the United States is likely to experience a large scale terrorist event (such as 9/11) in the near future. Calculator, Fish Interfaith Cerise Valenzuela Metzger, Director of Public Relations, cmetzger@chapman.edu The fears are ranked by the percent of Americans who reported being afraid or very afraid. The 2016 Chapman University Survey of American Fears explored how Americans as a whole view this small subgroup. Chapman University. are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! In an email, he added "Democrats tend to be slightly less educated than Republicans in our sample. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/10/141021125937.htm (accessed May 1, 2023). Sciences, Dodge In all cases, the clear majority of respondents were pessimistic; and in all cases Americans believe crime has at least remained steady. With a global reach of over 10 million monthly readers and featuring dedicated websites for science (Phys.org), ", Dr. Gordon's work includes maps of America that breaks down the fears of natural disasters by region, which can be seen at http://www.chapman.edu/fearsurvey. Center, Pre-Award "It is a simple, straight-line effect the more one watches talk TV, the more fearful one tends to be." The Chapman University 2016 Survey of American Fears included a series of items on paranormal beliefs ranging from Bigfoot and psychic powers to haunted houses and extraterrestrial visitation. American Beliefs in Conspiracy. What are you afraid of, Wonkblog readers? Fear of Russia using nuclear weapons seems to be representative of a more overarching fear of Americans centered around war, as two other top 10 fears the U.S. becoming involved in another world war and biological warfare fall under the topic. "Conspiracy theorists tend to be more pessimistic about the near future, fearful of government, less trusting of other people in their lives and more likely to engage in actions due to their fears, such as purchasing a gun," added Dr. Bader. Sociology Professor Christopher Bader, Associate Professor of Sociology Edward Day and Ann Gordon, an associate professor of political science oversee the collection of the annual data on the fears, worries and concerns of Americans, their personal behavior related to those fears and how the fears are associated with other attitudes and behaviors. Researchers release 4th annual Survey of American Fears. The data shows more than 40 percent of Americans believe that places can be haunted by spirits; and more than a fourth believe that the living and the dead can communicate with each other. Chapman University and discover alongside remarkable faculty. The names of the award recipients are, The fear, however, has experienced a steep drop from 79.6% (2020/21) to 62.1% (2022), the lowest it has been since 2016. Not having enough money for the future 39.9%. On Twitter and Instagram at: @ChapmanU A comprehensive list of the all the fears from The Chapman Survey on American Fears 2016 can be found http://www.chapman.edu/fearsurvey. Also, a greater number of women than. Chapman University. Aid This years topics range from fear of being the victim of mass shootings, to fears related to Jan. 6th and the violent overthrow of the U.S. government to fears related to immigration and gun control. The University is comprised of its main campus in Orange, California, and the Rinker Health Science campus for graduate health science programs in Irvine, California. Interestingly, Americans tend to fear more for the health and safety of loved ones than their own. by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system. The real monsters are in the halls of government, statehouses and elective offices across the land, according to the second annual It would be interesting to compare American fears vs Canadian, UK or German fears. Turns out there's indeed a wide variety of things frightening. One-third agree or strongly agree with the statement, "In order to curb terrorism in this country, it will be necessary to give up some civil liberties." Questions? He or she is likely to be Catholic - or a Christian denomination - but attend religious services infrequently. endobj Roughly one-third of Americans identify the following four as threats: Extreme Anti-Immigration groups, the Militia/Patriot Movement, Left-Wing Revolutionaries, and Extreme Anti-Abortion groups. Each year the survey digs deep into Americans fears and examines their potential causes as well as the consequences they have on daily life, voting patterns and personal and societal behavior. Interestingly, there are clear partisan differences in views on the government's handling of terrorism with Democrats being more likely to believe government has done a good job compared with either Republicans or Independents. Crimes specifically asked about were: child abduction, gang violence, human trafficking, mass riots, pedophilia, school shootings, serial killing and sexual assault. Terrorist attacks 41%. Your email address is used only to let the recipient know who sent the email. In 2019, the university opened its 11th college, Fowler School of Engineering, in its newest facility, Keck Center for Science and Engineering. Chapman University Survey of American Fears Our survey indicates Americans are more likely to report a shoplifter than a terrorist.". Your feedback is important to us. Therefore, this might explain some of the difference.". CCPA/CPRA: Do Not Sell or Share My Information. The Chapman University 2016 Survey of American Fears included a series of items on paranormal beliefs ranging from Bigfoot and psychic powers to haunted houses and extraterrestrial visitation. When it comes to gender, the survey showed that men are more likely than women to hold anti-Muslim opinions. And, the vast majority (78 percent) believes an emergency kit would improve their chances of surviving a disaster. The results show that a large proportion of the adult American population distrusts Muslims and believes extra security should be employed against them. Sciences, Argyros School of Business & "Those with Islamophobic views are more likely to be rural, male, white, older, and lacking a college education. "People often fear what they cannot control," continued Dr. Bader, "and we find continued evidence of that in our top fears." Desk: 714-289-3143 Mobile: 657-390-6760, Paul Pe, Public Relations Coordinator, ppe@chapman.edu The survey took, on average, 20 to 25 minutes to complete. paranormal, said Bader. Nevertheless, 74 percent have made no effort to put together such a kit. It would be interesting to find what percentage of Americans are very afraid of any item on this list, of two or more items etc. Centers, Center for Nevertheless, 74 percent have made no effort to put together such a kit. Through their analysis two key factors emerged: having a lower level of education and also high frequency of television viewing were the most consistent predictors of fear. can be found The researchers continue to improve the survey as its results and continuing interviews provide more information about fear, as well as how best to collect fear-based information. The survey asked respondents about 88 fears across a broad range of categories including worries about the government, crime, the environment, the future, technology, aging, sickness and health; natural and man-made disasters, claustrophobia, clowns and many other personal anxieties; and a host of other qualms. Of the 1,020 people surveyed, only 29% were afraid of dying themselves and 58% were afraid of a loved one dying. Most striking about American fear in 2017 is that environmental fears figure more prominently than ever before. The fear of harm befalling a loved one has been prevalent over the past few years with both fear of people I love becoming seriously ill and fear of people I love dying landing in the top 10 list every year except for 2017. The results landed fear of a nuclear attack from Russia in the top three, with 59.6% of Americans afraid of Russia using nuclear weapons. 0000004854 00000 n Nearly one-fourth of Americans also believe there is something suspicious about the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. Underscoring Chapman's growth and emergence in the sciences, the research team leading this effort pared the information down into four basic categories: personal fears, crime, natural disasters and fear factors. 0000007706 00000 n The sharp rise in the number of Americans who now say they fear climate change (and air pollution, which contributes to climate change) may be linked to President Trump's controversial decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord. 0000002951 00000 n REUTERS: Is Biden too old to run for re-election? and policies. Americans Fear Terrorism - and the Public's Role in Preventing Terrorism. The fact that water pollution has become such a prominent fear in 2017 may be traced to the reversal of environmental policies of the Obama Administration. 4 0 obj and Terms of Use. Environmental fears include drought (35.1%), wildfire (30.9%), devastating natural disaster where I live (37.5%), global warming and climate change (47.4%), and air pollution (47.3%). The war between Russia and Ukraine and the media attention this conflict has garnered explains this fear. More than 1,500 adults from across the nation and all walks of life were surveyed. In addition to the set of fears examined in previous waves, the survey team took a closer look at one particular fear-related phenomena: fear of extremism. "We found clear evidence that the United States is a strongly conspiratorial society," said Dr. Bader. "Those with Islamophobic views are more likely to be rural, male, white, older, and lacking a college education. Slightly more than half (52 percent) believe that places can be haunted by spirits. The survey also shed light on certain characteristics of people who believe in the paranormal. 50.4 percent fear for the quality of their drinking water. Currently the most common paranormal belief in the United States is that ancient, advanced civilizations, such as Atlantis once exited with more than half of respondents (55 percent) agreeing or strongly agreeing with this statement. 0000006056 00000 n More than half of all Americans (63 percent) believe that "natural disasters in my area are capable of doing serious harm to me or my property." In addition to the set of fears examined in previous waves, the survey team took a closer look at two fear related phenomena: Americans' beliefs in conspiracy theories and fear of Muslims, sometimes referred to as "Islamophobia.". Financial fraud (such as a Ponzi scheme, embezzlement, etc. 2073 24 by The two fears have even remained in the top 5 since 2019, showing the prominence of these fears within the American population. Economic fears include economic/financial collapse (53.7%), financial fraud (24.3%), not being able to pay off college debt of myself or a family member (43.0%) and not having enough money to pay my rent or mortgage (43.4%). Vocal Tract Size, Shape Dictate Speech Sounds, Virtual Reality Games Can Be Used as a Tool in Personnel Assessment, Edible Electronics: How a Seaweed Second Skin Could Transform Health and Fitness Sensor Tech, Tuning Into Brainwave Rhythms Speeds Up Learning in Adults, Study Finds, New Ways to Understand and Confront the Fear of Losing Control, How Vaccine-Related Fears Affect the Flu Shot Experience. the Science X network is one of the largest online communities for science-minded people. Insects/arachnids (spiders, bees, etc. <> What they learned is more than half of all Americans believe the government is concealing information about the 9/11 attacks; as well as the assassination of John F. Kennedy. (2014, October 21). The Chapman University 2015 Survey of American Fears included items on paranormal beliefs ranging from Bigfoot and psychic powers to haunted houses and the power of dreams. As an academically distinguished center of learning, Chapman University attracts extraordinary students and faculty from around the globe. Overall, fear of public speaking is America's biggest phobia - 25.3 percent say they fear speaking in front of a crowd. The SSRS Panel members are recruited randomly from a dual-frame random digit dial (RDD) sample, through the SSRS Omnibus Survey. %%EOF I would like to subscribe to Science X Newsletter. According to the demographics gathered in the survey, the most likely person to believe in a conspiracy theory is a Republican who is employed, but has a lower level of income and education. Identify the news topics you want to see and prioritize an order. 0000003526 00000 n Extinction of plant and animal species, American Healthcare Act/Trumpcare (55.3%), Pollution of oceans, rivers and lakes (61.6%), Not having enough money for the future (39.9%), Pollution of oceans, rivers and lakes (53.1%), Not having enough money for the future (57%), Not having enough money for the future (50.2%), People I love becoming seriously ill (56.5%), The US will be involved in another World War (48.4%), Extinction of plant and animal species (54.1%), People I love becoming seriously ill (35.9%), Global warming and climate change (53.2%), The Affordable Health Care Act/Obamacare (35.5%), 12. Gang Violence 28.4% Chapman University recently completed its third annual Chapman University Survey of American Fears (2016). www.chapman.edu/fearsurvey %PDF-1.7 When it comes to gender, the survey showed that men are more likely than women to hold anti-Muslim opinions. . The U.S. will be involved in another world war, 17. Government restrictions on firearms and ammunition, 36. Please, allow us to send you push notifications with new Alerts. 60 in the Best Business School rankings released April 25 by U.S. News & World Report. Please select the most appropriate category to facilitate processing of your request, Optional (only if you want to be contacted back). Second annual Survey of American Fears released, What do Americans fear? Clowns (7.6 percent feared) are officially scarier than ghosts (7.3 percent), but zombies are scarier than both (8.9 percent). Please select the most appropriate category to facilitate processing of your request, Optional (only if you want to be contacted back). The researchers found that most Americans want to be vigilant, but they are unaware of what kinds of behaviors constitute precursors to terrorism. 2096 0 obj <>stream The researchers asked respondents if they had engaged in particular actions because of their fears. ", What aren't they telling us? More education is needed. technology (Tech Xplore) and medical research (Medical Xpress), The sample of the "Through a complex series of analyses, we were able to determine what types of people tend to fear certain things, and what personal characteristics tend to be associated with most types of fear," said Dr. Christopher Bader, who performed the analysis. Being unemployed 28.9% 58. The survey identified four attitudes that are essential components for motivating preparedness: "We found that each of these attitudes contributed significantly to the likelihood of preparing for disaster with an emergency kit and a plan," said Dr. Gordon. We now have two years of data collected about American fears since Trumps election. Neither your address nor the recipient's address will be used for any other purpose. Americans fear being a victim of mass shootings, pollution and biological warfare and their fears also relate to immigration, gun control, the Jan. 6 violent attempt to overthrow of the U.S. government. 0000005477 00000 n (2015). "Following the San Bernardino attacks, President Obama reminded Americans that if they 'see something, say something." "Results from the Chapman University Survey of American Fears 2016 show significant portions of the U.S. population distrust Muslims and believe the nation is justified in singling out one religious tradition for increased law enforcement scrutiny," said Dr. Day. The survey also shed light on certain characteristics of people who believe in the paranormal. 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Center, Pre-Award And, the vast majority (78 percent) believes an emergency kit would improve their chances of surviving a disaster. The 2016 survey data is organized into five basic categories: personal fears, conspiracy theories, terrorism, natural disasters, paranormal fears, and fear of Muslims. Fight," which is the recommended preparedness slogan for a mass or random shooting. Others talking about you behind your back, Computers replacing people in the workforce, Financial fraud (such as a Ponzi scheme, embezzlement, etc. The real monster is government corruption, according to the second annual Chapman University Survey of American Fears (2015). The survey then asked about their familiarity with safety and preparedness advice/slogans propagated by ready.gov and emergency.cdc.gov. The survey was administered by GFK (Knowledge Networks) a consumer research company with expertise in probability samples. Given the United States history with economic crises like the Great Depression and the Great Recession it is no surprise that fear of economic well-being for both the individual and the nation is of concern to Americans. Harm to Loved Ones The recent media coverage of a potential recession plaguing the country, in combination with the negative economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and inflation woes, could help to explain the presence of both the fear of not having enough money for the future and the fear of economic/financial collapse in the top 10 list of 2022. Democrats are fond of caricaturing Republicans as fear-stricken Fox News viewers, clinging to "gunsorreligionor antipathy to people who aren't like them," in Barack Obama's famous formulation. The table below presents the top ten lists for 2016, 2017 and 2018. Most indicative is nearly one-third of respondents believed the government is concealing information about 'the North Dakota crash,' a theory we asked about that - to our knowledge - we made up," Dr. Bader continued. Other behaviors driven by fear included sending kids to private schools and purchasing a home alarm system. "For the See Something, Say Something Campaign to be successful, Americans need to know what they should report--and what not to report," said Dr. Gordon. The Chapman University Survey of American Fears Wave 5 (2018) provides an in-depth examination into the fears of average Americans. Data were collected between May 5, 2016, and May 18, 2016. However, the survey data do not allow us to dig deeply into the sources of anti-Muslim prejudice. 60 in U.S. News & World Report Rankings, Corrupt government officials 62.1%, People I love becoming seriously ill 60.2%, Russia using nuclear weapons 59.6%, People I love dying 58.1%, The U.S. becoming involved in another world war 56.0%, Pollution of drinking water 54.5%, Not having enough money for the future 53.7%, Economic/financial collapse 53.7%, Pollution of oceans, rivers, and lakes 52.5%, Biological warfare 51.5%.
