"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. Its the schools highest position in Cerise Valenzuela Metzger By 2017, the top fear (corrupt government officials) was up to 74.5% and five of the top ten fears were expressed by more than half of the population. "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. can be found "We found clear evidence that the United States is a strongly conspiratorial society," said Dr. Bader. have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: What do Americans fear most? 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. 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.". The CSAF was conducted online via the SSRS Probability Panel among adults age 18 and older who participated via the web on PC, laptop, tablet or mobile phone. 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. Being unemployed 28.9% 58. 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." I call this a "smaller fears." Your email address is used only to let the recipient know who sent the email. When it comes to feelings about and treatment of Muslims, nearly half of Americans reported that they would not be comfortable with a Mosque being built in their neighborhood; one-third reported that Muslims are more likely to engage in terrorism, as well as agree that the U.S. should halt all immigration from Muslim nations. Our survey indicates Americans are more likely to report a shoplifter than a terrorist.". The 2016 survey data is organized into five basic categories: personal fears, conspiracy theories, terrorism, natural disasters, paranormal fears, and fear of Muslims. More information: (2014, October 21). Corruption of government officials topped the surveys list of the 10 things Americans fear most. However, the survey data do not allow us to dig deeply into the sources of anti-Muslim prejudice. The survey was administered by GFK (Knowledge Networks) a consumer research company with expertise in probability samples. Currently, the most common paranormal belief in the United States is the belief that places can be haunted by spirits with nearly half of Americans believing this. Materials provided by Chapman University. As has been seen before, elevated fears over national security can lead to lower support for national values. "Those with Islamophobic views are more likely to be rural, male, white, older, and lacking a college education. The survey further examined how Muslims are viewed relative to other segments of society based on trustonly "strangers" were more distrusted than Muslims. 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. Although this fear has been prominent among Americans since first asked in 2014, the pandemic has most likely drawn greater attention to health-related issues and elevated fears among the public. Overall, the survey showed that half of Americans believe in "We are beginning to see trends that people tend to fear what they are exposed to in the media. www.chapman.edu/fearsurvey REUTERS: Is Biden too old to run for re-election? 0000001932 00000 n Science X Daily and the Weekly Email Newsletters are free features that allow you to receive your favourite sci-tech news updates. ScienceDaily. Further, 86 percent believe an emergency kit would improve their chances of surviving a disaster; however 72 percent indicate they have made no effort to put together such a kit. Americans fear for the environment (#s 2, 3, 7, 8, 9), fear bad things happening to loved ones (#s 5 & 6) and worry about their finances (#s 4 and 10). "Further, differences between various factions across America on which group represents the greatest threat reflects the political divisions we see in America on other issues.". sledbett@chapman.edu Fight," which is the recommended preparedness slogan for a mass or random shooting. Founded in 1861, Chapman University is a nationally ranked private university located in Southern California. For the first time ever, the fear survey included a question regarding Russia using nuclear weapons. Another 40 percent believe the government is hiding information about extra-terrestrials and global warming; and one-third believe there are conspiracies surrounding Obama's birth certificate and the origin of the AIDs virus. The Chapman University Survey of American Fears Wave 5 (2018) provides an in-depth examination into the fears of average Americans. For the first time, in 2017, four of the top 10 fears were centered around the environment. Terrorist attacks 41%. 0000004630 00000 n 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. ), 67. In examining beliefs about Muslims from different regions of the country there was a striking finding--the difference between people living in metropolitan areas and nonmetropolitan Americans. "We see a degree of paranoia in the responses. A comprehensive list of the all the fears from On average, Americans fears lay highest in the domains of man-made disasters, such as terrorist attacks, followed by technology and then the government such as corruption and the Affordable Health Care Act. realistic expectations: And, when compared with the rest of the ethnic groups in the American population, whites showed significantly higher levels of Islamophobia than non-whites. Twenty percent of Americans believe both that aliens visited Earth in the ancient past, and that dreams can foretell the future. 2096 0 obj <>stream 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. However, most Americans are unaware of what constitutes suspicious behavior that should be reported. Democrats are slightly more likely to be afraid of ghosts. The 2016 Chapman University Survey of American Fears explored how Americans as a whole view this small subgroup. The data is organized into five basic categories personal fears, acting out of fear, natural disasters, paranormal fears and domains of fear. Chapman University. Chapman Universitys Argyros School of Business and Economics Climbs to No. However, we do not guarantee individual replies due to the high volume of messages. This article has been reviewed according to ScienceX's editorial process cognitive restructuring is process that builds confidence because it replaces negative thoughts with positive thoughts called affirmations. something 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. Coelho sat me down for a one-on-one interview about my job and how I can help Wilkinson College students during their time at Chapman and beyond, with internships, jobs, and so much, Wilkinson College English professor Tom Zoellner (whose Island on Fire: The Revolt that Ended Slavery in the British Empire won the 2020 National Book Critics Circle Award for the best nonfiction book) recently published Rim to River: Looking into the Heart of Arizona a story about his 46-day journey hiking through the redrock country, In addition to Bader, Day and Gordon, student involvement was key in helping throughout the process. Simply put, the person with the highest number of paranormal beliefs in the United States as of 2017 will tend to be a lower income, female living in a rural area in the Western states. Economics, College of Regardless of the sources, the prevalence of anti-Muslim sentiment is a concern.". Chapman University. Of those surveyed only 41.7% were afraid of becoming seriously ill themselves, while 60.2% were afraid of a loved one becoming seriously ill. 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. Administration, Institutes & "The survey shows that paranormal beliefs are quite common in the United States by examining how many such beliefs a person holds," said Dr. Bader. If its spooky season, its time for The Chapman University Survey of American Fears (CSAF) to reveal the top 10 fears in America! As an academically distinguished center of learning, Chapman University attracts extraordinary students and faculty from around the globe. Calculator, Fish Interfaith "Survey shows what Americans fear most." The survey was a random sample of 1,511 Americans who are English speaking and over the age of 18. On Twitter and Instagram at: @ChapmanU The following is a complete list of all fears addressed by the Chapman University Survey of American Fears Wave 7 (2020/2021), ranked by the percent of Americans who reported being afraid or very afraid. ), 85. Of the 1,020 people surveyed, only 29% were afraid of dying themselves and 58% were afraid of a loved one dying. The researchers asked respondents if they had engaged in particular actions because of their fears. Democrats are nearly twice as likely as Republicans to have a fear of clowns. Speedy Robo-Gripper Reflexively Organizes What Made Us Human? The Chapman Survey on American Fears included1,500 participants from across the nation and all walks of life. The top five most feared natural disasters by Americans are: Despite these fears, only 25 percent of Americans have a disaster preparedness kit that includes food, water, clothing and medical supplies. The third annual Chapman University Survey of American Fears (2016) has been released by researchers. %PDF-1.7 As greater distance is placed between the United States and the height of the coronavirus pandemic, it will be interesting to see if environmental concerns continue to reemerge in the top 10 list, or if Americans continue to find their attention diverted to other issues. Regardless of the sources, the prevalence of anti-Muslim sentiment is a concern.". Performing Arts, Crean College of Health and Behavioral Chapman University People with the highest levels of paranormal beliefs have the following traits: Roughly one percent of the U.S. adult population are Muslims. <]>> Clowns (7.6 percent feared) are officially scarier than ghosts (7.3 percent), but zombies are scarier than both (8.9 percent). Others talking about you behind your back, Computers replacing people in the workforce, Financial fraud (such as a Ponzi scheme, embezzlement, etc. "Following the San Bernardino attacks, President Obama reminded Americans that if they 'see something, say something." 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. 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. . Sharing a restroom with a transgender person. "These attacks have added urgency to the need for the public to understand the precursors of terrorism," said Ann Gordon, Ph.D., associate dean of the Wilkinson College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Chapman University and one of the three researchers on the study. Murder by a stranger 28.9% 56. by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system. Chapman is categorized by the Carnegie Classification as an R2 high research activity institution and offers personalized education to more than 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students. Factors Bader and his team looked at included: age, gender, race, work status, education, income, region of the country, urban vs. rural, political preference, religion, TV viewing, and gun ownership. 60 in the Best Business School rankings released April 25 by U.S. News & World Report. 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. These are the eighth and tenth greatest fears, respectively. 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. 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In 2018 and 2019, all the top ten fears were held by more than half of Americans. ", The survey also looked at the personal characteristics that are significantly associated with higher levels of paranormal belief. The researchers found that most Americans want to be vigilant, but they are unaware of what kinds of behaviors constitute precursors to terrorism. The 2016 survey shows that the top 10 things Americans fear the most are: The 2016 survey shows that the top 10 things Americans fear the most are: "The 2016 survey data shows us the top fears have shifted from last year's, which were heavily based in economic and 'big brother' type issues to include more health and financial fears this year," said Christopher Bader, Ph.D., professor of sociology at Chapman University, who led the team effort. %%EOF Chapman administrators, senior staff, trustees and As a broadcast journalism student and documentary filmmaker, Tess Martinelli 24 knows her way around an on-camera interview. 0000002951 00000 n The fear of being the victim of a mass or random shooting is on the minds of 31 percent, and 35 percent report being familiar with the advice to "Run. In its third year, the annual Chapman University Survey of American Fears included more than 1,500 adult participants from across the nation and all walks of life. Since Trumps election, Americans are increasing fearful of pollution, global warming and other environmental disasters. In the top 10 fears cited in the survey overall, "terrorist attack" ranks second, with 41 percent of Americans being afraid of a terror attack--and 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. Nearly half of all Americans [48 percent] fear North Korea using nuclear weapons and 41 percent fear a nuclear attack generally. The partisan differences can be traced partlyeducation, according to Christopher D. Bader, a sociology professor at Chapman. The survey also shed light on certain characteristics of people who believe in the paranormal. The survey asked respondents about 65 fears across a broad range of categories including fears about the government, crime, the environment, the future, technology, health, natural disasters, as well as fears of public speaking, spiders, heights, ghosts and many other personal anxieties. Americans are the most skeptical about Bigfoot, with only 16 percent of Americans expressing belief in its existence. A comprehensive list of the all the fears from The Chapman Survey on American Fears 2016 can be found http://www.chapman.edu/fearsurvey. 0000011715 00000 n Even more, 35 percent, disagree or strongly disagree with the statement, "We should preserve our freedoms even if it increases the risk of terrorism." 9 spot on the list. Since the fear survey was first conducted, at least one fear concerning economic matters has landed in the top 10. Chapman University recently completed its third annual Chapman University Survey of American Fears (2016). This article was published more than8 years ago. Racial and political fears include racial/hate crimes (29.9%), violent overthrow of the U.S. government (35.6%), Left-wing extremists (30.8%), Right-wing extremists (35.8%) White supremacists (38.2%), The Proud Boys (34.0%), and Antifa (27.1%). In 2019, the university opened its 11th college, Fowler School of Engineering, in its newest facility, Keck Center for Science and Engineering. . 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%). Now celebrating its 155th year, Chapman is known for its distinguishing strengths in leadership and civic engagement, in the arts and entertainment disciplines, and in specialized sectors of technology and science. Corrupt Government Officials view more. The 2017 survey shows that the top 10 things Americans fear the most are: 1) Corruption of government officials (same top fear as 2015 and 2016) 2) American Healthcare Act/Trumpcare (new fear) 3 . 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. The results show that a large proportion of the adult American population distrusts Muslims and believes extra security should be employed against them. "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 a victim . Sorted by Percent Afraid/Very Afraid Visit us at http://www.chapman.edu. technology (Tech Xplore) and medical research (Medical Xpress), Three out of five Americans report they are very afraid or afraid that Islamic Extremists/Jihadists are a threat to national security. Half of Americans fear traveling abroad; one-fifth reported they are less likely to attend a concert, sporting or other public event; and three-fourths are more willing to accept longer lines and security screenings at airports.