Americans are overwhelmingly afraid of conspiracies and terrorist acts, according to the press release from the University of Chapmann University. On the other hand, they seem little concerned by the inequality of health care.
Researchers at Chapmann University in the United States conducted a survey of more than 1,500 adult participants to analyze their levels of 65 fears, divided into several broad categories: personal fears, conspiracy theories, terrorism, disasters. natural, phobias (fear of heights, spiders), paranormal fears (ghost) and fear of Muslims, called “Islamophobia”.
The 10 most common fears of Americans
1) Political corruption
2) Terrorist attacks
3) Poverty or lack of money
4) Terrorism
5) Prohibition (or restrictions on) firearms
6) The death of relatives
7) An economic or financial crash
8) Identity theft
9) illness of relatives
10) Insufficient access to health care
“The 2016 survey data shows us that the most frequent fears have changed compared to last year, which were heavily based on economic and financial issues,” said Christopher Bader, professor of sociology at the University. Chapman, author of the study. “People are often afraid of what they cannot control,” continued Dr Bader.
Thus, the survey reveals that 41% of Americans are afraid of another terrorist attack and the majority (over 60%) believe that the United States is likely to endure an event close to September 11.
The United States, a country of conspirators
This poll also reveals that Americans strongly believe that the United States is a country fueled by conspiracies.
Indeed, more than half of those polled declared that the September 11 attacks and the assassination of John F. Kennedy were plots. 40% of them believe the government is hiding information about aliens and global warming. And a third (30%) believe there are conspiracies about Obama’s birth certificate and the origin of the AIDS virus.
“We have found clear evidence that the United States is a strongly conspiratorial society,” said Dr Bader. “We see a degree of paranoia in the responses of those polled.”
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