Fear-Based Climate Appeals Can Be Counterproductive
New research suggests that environmental groups can persuade more people by focusing on a positive attitude toward climate action.
Fear
Is Generation Z More Scared Than Earlier Generations?
The messages they're getting in the media are terrifying—and the sustained sense of real threats could leave this generation with psychological scars.
A Majority of Americans Oppose Nuclear Power. How Does Nuclear 'Dread' Affect Their Perceptions?
A new study finds that the public is more supportive of nuclear power when looking only at numbers about calculated risk—without knowing it's nuclear power they're dealing with.
Airlines Are Grounding Boeing 737 Max 8 Planes Out of Caution (and Fear)
Two recent deadly plane crashes have prompted many countries to direct airlines to ground these planes out of concern that the crashes may be the result of a failure of the model.
Martha Nussbaum Wants Americans to Calm Down
A new book by one of America's foremost philosophers recommends talk therapy to a troubled nation that probably needs something stronger.
How Fear of a Physical Threat Can Foster Social Conservatism
New research confirms right-wing resistance to change is based largely in fear.
Why Americans Will Never Give Up Their Guns
New research finds the strongest motivation to buy handguns is the vague but deeply held perception that we live in a dangerous world.
Why Is Scaring People So Much Fun?
There's ample research on fear, but not much on why people enjoy inducing it. It could be power, group-bonding, or "everyday sadism."
Boo! Now, Do What I Say
A new meta-study finds fear-based appeals are consistently effective.
What America Fears
A new Chapman University survey reveals cyber-terrorism and threats to privacy are high on the list.
Teaching Peace in Peshawar
One woman living in one of the most dangerous and unstable regions in the world has a radical idea: peace curriculums. By working with both students and mothers, she's been able to stem the tide of violent extremism in her school. Now, it's time to take her plan nationwide.
How I Learned to Stop Pretending and Fear the Bomb
Fifteen years after surviving a terrorist attack in Moscow, I finally came to terms with how deeply the experience had affected me.
Are Bloody Slasher Movies Good for Product Placement?
New research suggests handing the axe-murderer a Coca-Cola.
Cross Burning Is More Common Than You Think
Hate-crime sentences are harsher than ever, but the terrorizing tactic still persists.
Fear September the 13th, Not Friday
Why are so many Americans so scared of today, when what they should really be scared of is ... today?
Driving Is Much Deadlier Than Terrorism—Why Isn't It Scarier?
Humans are flighty, irrational creatures that calculate risk in fascinating ways.
The Neurobiology of Fear
New clues into why some of us get stuck in a state of anxiety and others chill
Fear Powers Zombie Bugs
Work with glued spiders and stressed grasshoppers shows how fear can transform an ecosystem even after death.
Fear Heightens Appreciation of Abstract Art
Does abstract art fail to evoke a profound emotional response? Try viewing it while you’re terrified.
The Deep Pain of Awkward Silences
Remarks that stop the conversation cold at social gatherings can instantly elicit deep-seated feelings of exclusion.
Apocalypse, Wow
Western filmgoers increasingly like to see it all come down as apocalypse become hot box office.
Taking the Temperature of Swine Flu Fears
Information, good or bad, about swine flu travels faster than the virus itself, and a team at Stanford wants you to help it track how you respond to this unfolding pandemic.