Weapons Effect
Encyclopedia
The weapons effect is a finding in studies of aggression suggesting that the mere presence of a weapon, words describing weapons, or pictures of weapons, may facilitate an increased likelihood of aggression, especially among angered persons.
The original investigation of a possible causal link between firearms and impulsive aggression was found by Berkowitz
and LePage (1967). Under controlled laboratory conditions, previously angered and nonangered subjects were exposed to guns or neutral objects (badminton rackets) in the environment (on a table) and then given the opportunity to aggress. Results showed that angered subjects exposed to a rifle or revolver administered significantly more electric shocks than did those angered subjects exposed to neutral objects.
More recent research has shown that weapon associated words – a “priming effect of weapons” or “weapons priming effect” – increases the likelihood of aggressive responses (Anderson, Benjamin, & Bartholomew, 1998), which is believed to be affected by context (e.g., hunting vs. assault weapons) and individual familiarity with weapons. Thus, some researchers suggest that weapons priming effects are diminished among frequent weapons users, and that there may be a heightened potential for weapon effects in societies with lower levels of weapons availability (Bartholow, Anderson, Carnagey, & Benjamin, 2005). Overall, then, the laboratory evidence for a “weapons effect” is robust. The empirical evidence for the effect in naturalistic or real world settings, however, is less so.
Closely related to the weapons effect is the “offensive effect of a weapon,” which suggests that during altercations where there is a potential for violence, the presence of a knife or a gun may reduce the likelihood of actual violence as it plays a coercive role, allowing the weapon carrier to exert control over another with an increased threat of violence (Kleck & McElrath, 1991).
The original investigation of a possible causal link between firearms and impulsive aggression was found by Berkowitz
Leonard Berkowitz
Leonard Berkowitz is an American social psychologist best known for his research on human aggression. He originated the Cognitive Neoassociation Model of aggressive behavior, which was created to help explain instances of aggression that the Frustration-Aggression Hypothesis could not account for....
and LePage (1967). Under controlled laboratory conditions, previously angered and nonangered subjects were exposed to guns or neutral objects (badminton rackets) in the environment (on a table) and then given the opportunity to aggress. Results showed that angered subjects exposed to a rifle or revolver administered significantly more electric shocks than did those angered subjects exposed to neutral objects.
More recent research has shown that weapon associated words – a “priming effect of weapons” or “weapons priming effect” – increases the likelihood of aggressive responses (Anderson, Benjamin, & Bartholomew, 1998), which is believed to be affected by context (e.g., hunting vs. assault weapons) and individual familiarity with weapons. Thus, some researchers suggest that weapons priming effects are diminished among frequent weapons users, and that there may be a heightened potential for weapon effects in societies with lower levels of weapons availability (Bartholow, Anderson, Carnagey, & Benjamin, 2005). Overall, then, the laboratory evidence for a “weapons effect” is robust. The empirical evidence for the effect in naturalistic or real world settings, however, is less so.
Closely related to the weapons effect is the “offensive effect of a weapon,” which suggests that during altercations where there is a potential for violence, the presence of a knife or a gun may reduce the likelihood of actual violence as it plays a coercive role, allowing the weapon carrier to exert control over another with an increased threat of violence (Kleck & McElrath, 1991).