My new theory about bears is that no one knows what they might do.
I read an article by an expert on bears years ago in Outdoor life. He said exactly that, not even the bears themselves know what they will do next.
That is a very good theory....and I would go further and say, it is not a theory...it is a fact. There is a reason they call them wild animals. They are wild and totally unpredictable. I grew up hearing "play dead, leave them alone they will leave you alone, they will never bother you unless you get between a mother and her cubs, they are more scared of you than you are of them, the only dangerous ones are the ones that hang around garbage, just make noise and they will run away, don't look them in the eye....
The fact is, you cannot rely on any of those tactics. The only advice I can give is, stay away from the bears and if you must go through their stomping grounds, carry a very large caliber weapon and plenty of ammo.