Fear is a natural and often necessary emotional response to physical and emotional danger that is vital to our existence. If we didn’t feel fear, we wouldn’t be able to protect ourselves from harmful threats. 

So what are Americans afraid of? The second annual Chapman University Survey of American Fears seeks to answer that question and reveals some interesting trends about what people in the U.S. find most threatening.

A random sample of more than 1,5000 adults from across the country answered questions about 88 fears covering a broad spectrum of categories, including fears of the government, crime, disasters, the environment, the future, technology, sickness and aging. The researchers also included questions about personal anxieties, such as claustrophobia, clowns and public speaking.

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