The stimulating and inhibiting effects of weapons on Aggressive behavior

Abstract

Evidence is presented suggesting that firearms violence is an important social problem. Research strongly suggests that the effectiveness of firearms as a cause of death and injury may be due to their widespread availability, their lethality, and the impulsivity of their use. The investigation of a possible causal link between firearms and impulsive aggression led to Berkowitz and LePage's (1967) weapons effect experiment. The results suggested that weapons can increase the instigation to aggression in aroused an uninhibited individuals. The researchers reasoned that weapons might stimulate aggression by classical conditioning processes resulting from learned associations between aggressive acts and weapons. Although a few studies have failed to reproduce an aggression‐enhancing effect of weapons, the original finding has been replicated in several countries with diverse subject groups both in field and laboratory settings. However, these studies also indicate that many individuals may react with anxiety or fear in the presence of weapons and inhibit aggressive reactions. Manipulations of evaluation apprehension, subject suspiciousness, and/or hypothesis awareness about the purpose of the weapons in the experiments all seem to lead to reduced levels of aggressive response in the presence of weapons. These findings offer a possible explanation for the few failures to replicate the original weapons effect; if researchers used apprehensive subjects or subjects who were aware of possible experimental deceptions, they were more likely to observe an inhibitory reaction rather than an aggression‐enhancing effect of weapons.

Does the Gun Pull the Trigger? Automatic Priming Effects of Weapon Pictures and Weapon Names

“…It has been observed with knives as well as guns, with weapon pictures as well as real weapons, in field settings as well as the psychological laboratory. Early concerns that the weapons effect might be an artifact of participants' suspicion or experimenter demand have been met by studies revealing the opposite: The weapons effect occurs only when participants are not suspicious or under heavy experimenter demand (Carlson, Marcus-Newhall, & Miller, 1990;Turner, Simons, Berkowitz, & Frodi, 1977). It is clear that the presence of a weapon-or even a picture of a weapon-can make people behave more aggressively.…”

Routinization of the Israeli-Arab Conflict: The Perspective of Outsiders

“…Studies show, for example, that the presence of a weapon and other aggression-related cues increase the likelihood of aggressive thoughts and belligerent behavior (Anderson et al 1998;Berkowitz and LePage 1967;Carlson et al 1990). Furthermore, the fact that society members do not consciously notice these cues and treat them with indifference might even intensify this psychological effect (Turner et al 1977).…”

Firearm violence and the effects of gun control legislation

“…The group who saw the weapons next to the machine administered more shocks to peers than students in the other two conditions. In other words, the mere presence of firearms can influence emotionally aroused individuals to be aggressive toward others (Turner & Goldsmith, 1976;Turner, Layton, & Simons, 1975;Turner, Simons, Berkowitz, & Frodi, 1977).…”

“…Since the original study by Berkowitz and LaPage (1967) on the weapons effect, their thesis has been challenged by several researchers (i.e., Buss, Booker, & Buss, 1972;Ellis, Weinir, & Miller, 1971;Halderman & Jackson, 1979;Page & Scheidt, 1971). Turner et al (1977) and Berkowitz (1971) countered by stating that methodological flaws in those studies resulted in a failure to detect a weapons effect. Even though different researchers have found conflicting findings regarding the weapons effect, most investigators agree that firearms should be restricted to prevent misuse of these lethal weapons.…”