{"id":8566,"date":"2016-10-11T23:59:31","date_gmt":"2016-10-12T06:59:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogschapman.wpenginepowered.com\/wilkinson\/2016\/10\/11\/americas-top-fears-2016\/"},"modified":"2026-07-20T23:51:46","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T23:51:46","slug":"americas-top-fears-2016","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/wilkinson\/2016\/10\/11\/americas-top-fears-2016\/","title":{"rendered":"America's Top Fears 2016"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Chapman University Survey of American Fears Wave 3 (2016) provides an unprecedented look into the fears of average Americans. In April of 2016, a random sample of 1,511 adults from across the United States were asked their level of fear about 79\u00a0different fears across a huge variety of topics ranging from crime, the government, disasters, personal anxieties, technology and many others.<\/p>\n

Domains of Fear<\/strong><\/p>\n

There were 11 major “domains” of fear addressed by the survey, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Fear Domain<\/strong><\/td>\nTypes of Questions Included<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Crime<\/td>\nMurder, rape, theft, burglary, fraud, identity theft<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Economic<\/td>\nNot having enough money for the future, becoming unemployed, etc.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Environment<\/td>\nGlobal warming, overpopulation, pollution<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Government<\/td>\nGovernment corruption, Obamacare, drones, gun control, etc.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Illness and Death<\/td>\nHigh medical bills, becoming ill, dying<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Immigration\/Demographic Changes<\/td>\nIllegal immigration, whites no longer being majority in US<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Man-Made Disasters<\/td>\nBio-warfare, terrorism, nuclear attacks<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Natural Disasters<\/td>\nEarthquakes, droughts, floods, hurricanes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Personal Fears<\/td>\nTight spaces, public speaking, clowns, vaccines<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Relationships<\/td>\nSignificant other cheating, others talking about you behind your back<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Technology<\/td>\nArtificial intelligence, robots, cyber-terrorism<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

\"fear-survey-2016_page_1\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Top 10 Fears of 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n

Below is a list of the 10 fears for which the highest percentage of Americans reported being “Afraid,” or “Very Afraid.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Fear<\/strong><\/td>\nFear Domain<\/strong><\/td>\n% Afraid or Very Afraid<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Corrupt government officials<\/td>\nGovernment<\/td>\n60.6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Terrorist Attack<\/td>\nManmade Disasters<\/td>\n41<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Not having enough money for the future<\/td>\nEconomic<\/td>\n39.9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Terrorism<\/td>\nCrime<\/td>\n38.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Government restrictions on firearms and ammunition<\/td>\nGovernment<\/td>\n38.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
People I love dying<\/td>\nIllness and Death<\/td>\n38.1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Economic\/financial collapse<\/td>\nEconomic<\/td>\n37.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Identity theft<\/td>\nCrime<\/td>\n37.1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
People I love becoming seriously ill<\/td>\nIllness and Death<\/td>\n35.9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The Affordable Health Care Act\/Obamacare<\/td>\nGovernment<\/td>\n35.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

\"fear-survey-2016_page_2\"<\/p>\n

The Complete List of Fears, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n

The following is a complete, list of all of the fears addressed by the Chapman University Survey of American Fears Wave 3 (2016), including the percent of Americans who reported being afraid or very afraid.<\/p>\n

Sorted by Percent Afraid\/Very Afraid<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Fear<\/strong><\/td>\nFear Domain<\/strong><\/td>\n% Afraid or Very Afraid<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Corrupt government officials<\/td>\nGovernment<\/td>\n60.6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Terrorist Attack<\/td>\nManmade Disasters<\/td>\n41<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Not having enough money for the future<\/td>\nEconomic<\/td>\n39.9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Terrorism<\/td>\nCrime<\/td>\n38.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Government restrictions on firearms and ammunition<\/td>\nGovernment<\/td>\n38.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
People I love dying<\/td>\nIllness and Death<\/td>\n38.1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Economic\/financial collapse<\/td>\nEconomic<\/td>\n37.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Identity theft<\/td>\nCrime<\/td>\n37.1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
People I love becoming seriously ill<\/td>\nIllness and Death<\/td>\n35.9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The Affordable Health Care Act\/Obamacare<\/td>\nGovernment<\/td>\n35.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Credit card fraud<\/td>\nCrime<\/td>\n35.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Biological warfare<\/td>\nManmade Disasters<\/td>\n34.8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Reptiles<\/td>\nPersonal Fears<\/td>\n33.2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Government tracking of personal data<\/td>\nTechnology<\/td>\n33.1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
High medical bills<\/td>\nIllness and Death<\/td>\n33.1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The US will be involved in another World War<\/td>\nManmade Disasters<\/td>\n32.3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Global warming and climate change<\/td>\nEnvironment<\/td>\n32.3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nuclear weapons attack<\/td>\nManmade Disasters<\/td>\n31.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cyber-terrorism<\/td>\nTechnology<\/td>\n30.7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Being hit by a drunk driver<\/td>\nCrime<\/td>\n30.4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Pollution of oceans, rivers and lakes<\/td>\nEnvironment<\/td>\n30<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Devastating tornado<\/td>\nNatural Disasters<\/td>\n29.7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Pandemic or a major epidemic<\/td>\nManmade Disasters<\/td>\n29.3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Corporate tracking of personal data<\/td>\nTechnology<\/td>\n28.7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Extinction of plant and animal species<\/td>\nEnvironment<\/td>\n27.9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Pollution of drinking water<\/td>\nEnvironment<\/td>\n27.9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Break-ins<\/td>\nCrime<\/td>\n27.6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Widespread civil unrest<\/td>\nManmade Disasters<\/td>\n27.6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nuclear accident\/meltdown<\/td>\nManmade Disasters<\/td>\n27.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Random\/mass shooting<\/td>\nCrime<\/td>\n26.9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Oil spills<\/td>\nEnvironment<\/td>\n26.8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Collapse of the electrical grid<\/td>\nManmade Disasters<\/td>\n26.2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Public speaking<\/td>\nPersonal Fears<\/td>\n25.9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Theft of property<\/td>\nCrime<\/td>\n25.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Losing my data, photos or other important documents in a disaster<\/td>\nNatural Disasters<\/td>\n25.2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Insects\/arachnids<\/td>\nPersonal Fears<\/td>\n25<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Becoming unemployed<\/td>\nEconomic<\/td>\n24.6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Heights<\/td>\nPersonal Fears<\/td>\n24.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Devastating drought<\/td>\nNatural Disasters<\/td>\n23.9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Illegal immigration<\/td>\nImmigration\/Demographic change<\/td>\n23.8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Devastating hurricane<\/td>\nNatural Disasters<\/td>\n23.3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Devastating earthquake<\/td>\nNatural Disasters<\/td>\n22.7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Devastating flood<\/td>\nNatural Disasters<\/td>\n22.2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Murder by a stranger<\/td>\nCrime<\/td>\n21.9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Devastating blizzard\/winter storm<\/td>\nNatural Disasters<\/td>\n21.8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Government use of drones within the US<\/td>\nGovernment<\/td>\n21.7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Financial fraud (such as a Ponzi scheme, embezzlement, etc.)<\/td>\nCrime<\/td>\n21.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sexual assault by a stranger<\/td>\nCrime<\/td>\n21.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mugging<\/td>\nCrime<\/td>\n21.3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Gang violence<\/td>\nCrime<\/td>\n21.1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Walking alone at night<\/td>\nCrime<\/td>\n21.1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Deep lakes and oceans<\/td>\nPersonal Fears<\/td>\n20.8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Air Pollution<\/td>\nEnvironment<\/td>\n20.7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Becoming seriously ill<\/td>\nIllness and Death<\/td>\n20.3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Racial\/hate crime<\/td>\nCrime<\/td>\n19.9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Police brutality<\/td>\nCrime<\/td>\n19.6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Abduction\/kidnapping<\/td>\nCrime<\/td>\n19.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Becoming the victim of a violent crime<\/td>\nCrime<\/td>\n19.4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dying<\/td>\nIllness and Death<\/td>\n19<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Becoming the victim of a property crime<\/td>\nCrime<\/td>\n18.6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sexual assault by someone you know<\/td>\nCrime<\/td>\n18.1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Whites no longer being the majority in the US<\/td>\nImmigration\/Demographic change<\/td>\n17.9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Murder by someone you know<\/td>\nCrime<\/td>\n17.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Stalking<\/td>\nCrime<\/td>\n17.4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Small enclosed spaces<\/td>\nPersonal Fears<\/td>\n16.8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Needles<\/td>\nPersonal Fears<\/td>\n16.7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Computers replacing people in the workforce<\/td>\nTechnology<\/td>\n16.6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Technology I don’t understand<\/td>\nTechnology<\/td>\n15.7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Large volcanic eruption<\/td>\nNatural Disasters<\/td>\n15<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Germs<\/td>\nPersonal Fears<\/td>\n14.9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Flying<\/td>\nPersonal Fears<\/td>\n12.1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Blood<\/td>\nPersonal Fears<\/td>\n11.7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Animals (dogs, rats, etc).<\/td>\nPersonal Fears<\/td>\n10.9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Significant other cheating on you<\/td>\nRelationships<\/td>\n10.2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Zombies<\/td>\nPersonal Fears<\/td>\n10.2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Strangers<\/td>\nPersonal Fears<\/td>\n9.8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ghosts<\/td>\nPersonal Fears<\/td>\n8.9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Clowns<\/td>\nPersonal Fears<\/td>\n7.8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Others talking about you behind your back<\/td>\nRelationships<\/td>\n6.8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n


\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sorted Alphabetically<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Fear<\/strong><\/td>\nFear Domain<\/strong><\/td>\n% Afraid or Very Afraid<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Abduction\/kidnapping<\/td>\nCrime<\/td>\n19.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Air Pollution<\/td>\nEnvironment<\/td>\n20.7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Animals (dogs, rats, etc).<\/td>\nPersonal Fears<\/td>\n10.9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Becoming seriously ill<\/td>\nIllness and Death<\/td>\n20.3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Becoming the victim of a property crime<\/td>\nCrime<\/td>\n18.6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Becoming the victim of a violent crime<\/td>\nCrime<\/td>\n19.4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Becoming unemployed<\/td>\nEconomic<\/td>\n24.6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Being hit by a drunk driver<\/td>\nCrime<\/td>\n30.4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Biological warfare<\/td>\nManmade Disasters<\/td>\n34.8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Blood<\/td>\nPersonal Fears<\/td>\n11.7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Break-ins<\/td>\nCrime<\/td>\n27.6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Clowns<\/td>\nPersonal Fears<\/td>\n7.8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Collapse of the electrical grid<\/td>\nManmade Disasters<\/td>\n26.2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Computers replacing people in the workforce<\/td>\nTechnology<\/td>\n16.6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Corporate tracking of personal data<\/td>\nTechnology<\/td>\n28.7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Corrupt government officials<\/td>\nGovernment<\/td>\n60.6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Credit card fraud<\/td>\nCrime<\/td>\n35.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cyber-terrorism<\/td>\nTechnology<\/td>\n30.7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Deep lakes and oceans<\/td>\nPersonal Fears<\/td>\n20.8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Devastating blizzard\/winter storm<\/td>\nNatural Disasters<\/td>\n21.8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Devastating drought<\/td>\nNatural Disasters<\/td>\n23.9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Devastating earthquake<\/td>\nNatural Disasters<\/td>\n22.7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Devastating flood<\/td>\nNatural Disasters<\/td>\n22.2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Devastating hurricane<\/td>\nNatural Disasters<\/td>\n23.3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Devastating tornado<\/td>\nNatural Disasters<\/td>\n29.7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dying<\/td>\nIllness and Death<\/td>\n19<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Economic\/financial collapse<\/td>\nEconomic<\/td>\n37.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Extinction of plant and animal species<\/td>\nEnvironment<\/td>\n27.9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Financial fraud (such as a Ponzi scheme, embezzlement, etc.)<\/td>\nCrime<\/td>\n21.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Flying<\/td>\nPersonal Fears<\/td>\n12.1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Gang violence<\/td>\nCrime<\/td>\n21.1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Germs<\/td>\nPersonal Fears<\/td>\n14.9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ghosts<\/td>\nPersonal Fears<\/td>\n8.9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Global warming and climate change<\/td>\nEnvironment<\/td>\n32.3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Government restrictions on firearms and ammunition<\/td>\nGovernment<\/td>\n38.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Government tracking of personal data<\/td>\nTechnology<\/td>\n33.1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Government use of drones within the US<\/td>\nGovernment<\/td>\n21.7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Heights<\/td>\nPersonal Fears<\/td>\n24.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
High medical bills<\/td>\nIllness and Death<\/td>\n33.1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Identity theft<\/td>\nCrime<\/td>\n37.1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Illegal immigration<\/td>\nImmigration\/Demographic change<\/td>\n23.8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Insects\/arachnids<\/td>\nPersonal Fears<\/td>\n25<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Large volcanic eruption<\/td>\nNatural Disasters<\/td>\n15<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Losing my data, photos or other important documents in a disaster<\/td>\nNatural Disasters<\/td>\n25.2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mugging<\/td>\nCrime<\/td>\n21.3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Murder by a stranger<\/td>\nCrime<\/td>\n21.9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Murder by someone you know<\/td>\nCrime<\/td>\n17.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Needles<\/td>\nPersonal Fears<\/td>\n16.7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Not having enough money for the future<\/td>\nEconomic<\/td>\n39.9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nuclear accident\/meltdown<\/td>\nManmade Disasters<\/td>\n27.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nuclear weapons attack<\/td>\nManmade Disasters<\/td>\n31.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Oil spills<\/td>\nEnvironment<\/td>\n26.8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Others talking about you behind your back<\/td>\nRelationships<\/td>\n6.8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Pandemic or a major epidemic<\/td>\nManmade Disasters<\/td>\n29.3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
People I love becoming seriously ill<\/td>\nIllness and Death<\/td>\n35.9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
People I love dying<\/td>\nIllness and Death<\/td>\n38.1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Police brutality<\/td>\nCrime<\/td>\n19.6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Pollution of drinking water<\/td>\nEnvironment<\/td>\n27.9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Pollution of oceans, rivers and lakes<\/td>\nEnvironment<\/td>\n30<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Public speaking<\/td>\nPersonal Fears<\/td>\n25.9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Racial\/hate crime<\/td>\nCrime<\/td>\n19.9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Random\/mass shooting<\/td>\nCrime<\/td>\n26.9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Reptiles<\/td>\nPersonal Fears<\/td>\n33.2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sexual assault by a stranger<\/td>\nCrime<\/td>\n21.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sexual assault by someone you know<\/td>\nCrime<\/td>\n18.1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Significant other cheating on you<\/td>\nRelationships<\/td>\n10.2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Small enclosed spaces<\/td>\nPersonal Fears<\/td>\n16.8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Stalking<\/td>\nCrime<\/td>\n17.4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Strangers<\/td>\nPersonal Fears<\/td>\n9.8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Technology I don’t understand<\/td>\nTechnology<\/td>\n15.7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Terrorism<\/td>\nCrime<\/td>\n38.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Terrorist Attack<\/td>\nManmade Disasters<\/td>\n41<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The Affordable Health Care Act\/Obamacare<\/td>\nGovernment<\/td>\n35.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The US will be involved in another World War<\/td>\nManmade Disasters<\/td>\n32.3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Theft of property<\/td>\nCrime<\/td>\n25.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Walking alone at night<\/td>\nCrime<\/td>\n21.1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Whites no longer being the majority in the US<\/td>\nImmigration\/Demographic change<\/td>\n17.9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Widespread civil unrest<\/td>\nManmade Disasters<\/td>\n27.6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Zombies<\/td>\nPersonal Fears<\/td>\n10.2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Chapman University Survey of American Fears<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":16757,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"custom_author_name":"Wilkinson College","chapman_pin_hero_slider":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1864],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8566","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fear-index"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Voice of Wilkinson | Chapman Blogs<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/wilkinson\/2016\/10\/11\/americas-top-fears-2016\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"America's Top Fears 2016 - The Voice of Wilkinson\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Chapman University Survey of American Fears\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/wilkinson\/2016\/10\/11\/americas-top-fears-2016\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Voice of Wilkinson\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-10-12T06:59:31+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-07-20T23:51:46+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/wilkinson\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2026\/03\/Chapman3_18Campus-2.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2400\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"kediep\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"kediep\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/wilkinson\\\/2016\\\/10\\\/11\\\/americas-top-fears-2016\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/wilkinson\\\/2016\\\/10\\\/11\\\/americas-top-fears-2016\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"kediep\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/wilkinson\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/ff234637ac55c8497daaffcc61b40d8c\"},\"headline\":\"America's Top Fears 2016\",\"datePublished\":\"2016-10-12T06:59:31+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-07-20T23:51:46+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/wilkinson\\\/2016\\\/10\\\/11\\\/americas-top-fears-2016\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1131,\"commentCount\":39,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/wilkinson\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/wilkinson\\\/2016\\\/10\\\/11\\\/americas-top-fears-2016\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/wilkinson\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/62\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/Chapman3_18Campus-2.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"The Chapman University Survey on American Fears\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/wilkinson\\\/2016\\\/10\\\/11\\\/americas-top-fears-2016\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/wilkinson\\\/2016\\\/10\\\/11\\\/americas-top-fears-2016\\\/\",\"name\":\"America's Top Fears 2016 - The Voice of Wilkinson\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/wilkinson\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/wilkinson\\\/2016\\\/10\\\/11\\\/americas-top-fears-2016\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/wilkinson\\\/2016\\\/10\\\/11\\\/americas-top-fears-2016\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/wilkinson\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/62\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/Chapman3_18Campus-2.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2016-10-12T06:59:31+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-07-20T23:51:46+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/wilkinson\\\/2016\\\/10\\\/11\\\/americas-top-fears-2016\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/wilkinson\\\/2016\\\/10\\\/11\\\/americas-top-fears-2016\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/wilkinson\\\/2016\\\/10\\\/11\\\/americas-top-fears-2016\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/wilkinson\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/62\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/Chapman3_18Campus-2.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/wilkinson\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/62\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/Chapman3_18Campus-2.jpg\",\"width\":2400,\"height\":1600},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/wilkinson\\\/2016\\\/10\\\/11\\\/americas-top-fears-2016\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/wilkinson\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"America's Top Fears 2016\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/wilkinson\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/wilkinson\\\/\",\"name\":\"The Voice of Wilkinson\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/wilkinson\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/wilkinson\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/wilkinson\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"The Voice of Wilkinson\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/wilkinson\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/wilkinson\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/wilkinson\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/62\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/MasterBrand_000-scaled-1.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/wilkinson\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/62\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/MasterBrand_000-scaled-1.png\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":435,\"caption\":\"The Voice of Wilkinson\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/wilkinson\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/wilkinson\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/ff234637ac55c8497daaffcc61b40d8c\",\"name\":\"kediep\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/987a30968868c2a6df38073800a207ca064318a32923664585a962158859f44d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/987a30968868c2a6df38073800a207ca064318a32923664585a962158859f44d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/987a30968868c2a6df38073800a207ca064318a32923664585a962158859f44d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"kediep\"},\"url\":\"\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Voice of Wilkinson | Chapman Blogs","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/wilkinson\/2016\/10\/11\/americas-top-fears-2016\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"America's Top Fears 2016 - The Voice of Wilkinson","og_description":"Chapman University Survey of American Fears","og_url":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/wilkinson\/2016\/10\/11\/americas-top-fears-2016\/","og_site_name":"The Voice of Wilkinson","article_published_time":"2016-10-12T06:59:31+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-07-20T23:51:46+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2400,"height":1600,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/wilkinson\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2026\/03\/Chapman3_18Campus-2.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"kediep","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"kediep","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/wilkinson\/2016\/10\/11\/americas-top-fears-2016\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/wilkinson\/2016\/10\/11\/americas-top-fears-2016\/"},"author":{"name":"kediep","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/wilkinson\/#\/schema\/person\/ff234637ac55c8497daaffcc61b40d8c"},"headline":"America's Top Fears 2016","datePublished":"2016-10-12T06:59:31+00:00","dateModified":"2026-07-20T23:51:46+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/wilkinson\/2016\/10\/11\/americas-top-fears-2016\/"},"wordCount":1131,"commentCount":39,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/wilkinson\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/wilkinson\/2016\/10\/11\/americas-top-fears-2016\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/wilkinson\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2026\/03\/Chapman3_18Campus-2.jpg","articleSection":["The Chapman University Survey on American Fears"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/wilkinson\/2016\/10\/11\/americas-top-fears-2016\/","url":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/wilkinson\/2016\/10\/11\/americas-top-fears-2016\/","name":"America's Top Fears 2016 - The Voice of Wilkinson","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/wilkinson\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/wilkinson\/2016\/10\/11\/americas-top-fears-2016\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/wilkinson\/2016\/10\/11\/americas-top-fears-2016\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/wilkinson\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2026\/03\/Chapman3_18Campus-2.jpg","datePublished":"2016-10-12T06:59:31+00:00","dateModified":"2026-07-20T23:51:46+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/wilkinson\/2016\/10\/11\/americas-top-fears-2016\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/wilkinson\/2016\/10\/11\/americas-top-fears-2016\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/wilkinson\/2016\/10\/11\/americas-top-fears-2016\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/wilkinson\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2026\/03\/Chapman3_18Campus-2.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/wilkinson\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2026\/03\/Chapman3_18Campus-2.jpg","width":2400,"height":1600},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/wilkinson\/2016\/10\/11\/americas-top-fears-2016\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/wilkinson\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"America's Top Fears 2016"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/wilkinson\/#website","url":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/wilkinson\/","name":"The Voice of Wilkinson","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/wilkinson\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/wilkinson\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/wilkinson\/#organization","name":"The Voice of Wilkinson","url":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/wilkinson\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/wilkinson\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/wilkinson\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2026\/03\/MasterBrand_000-scaled-1.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/wilkinson\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2026\/03\/MasterBrand_000-scaled-1.png","width":2560,"height":435,"caption":"The Voice of Wilkinson"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/wilkinson\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/wilkinson\/#\/schema\/person\/ff234637ac55c8497daaffcc61b40d8c","name":"kediep","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/987a30968868c2a6df38073800a207ca064318a32923664585a962158859f44d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/987a30968868c2a6df38073800a207ca064318a32923664585a962158859f44d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/987a30968868c2a6df38073800a207ca064318a32923664585a962158859f44d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"kediep"},"url":""}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/wilkinson\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8566","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/wilkinson\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/wilkinson\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/wilkinson\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/wilkinson\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8566"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/wilkinson\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8566\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17179,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/wilkinson\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8566\/revisions\/17179"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/wilkinson\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16757"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/wilkinson\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8566"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/wilkinson\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8566"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/wilkinson\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8566"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}