The Weapons Effect

Abstract

This review examines the current state of research on the weapons effect, a phenomenon in which the mere presence of weapons is presumed to cause people to behave more aggressively. The General Aggression Model (GAM) is often used to explain how and why the weapons effect occurs. Hence research on the extent to which weapons prime cognitive and appraisal processes is considered, based on findings from recent meta-analytic research. Findings from classic and contemporary studies offer mixed support for the weapons effect. Implications for theory and future research will be discussed.

Weapons Effect

“…Finally, it is worth noting that controversy surrounding the validity of the weapons effect is embedded within a context in which there is renewed questioning about the replicability of classic research more generally (e.g., Open Science Collaboration, 2015). One weapons effect researcher recommended utilizing a registered replication report (RRR) approach to lab research on the weapons effect in which research protocols are preregistered, conducted across multiple labs, resulting in large enough samples to detect potentially small effect sizes with greater accuracy (Benjamin, 2019). SEE ALSO: General Aggression Model; Hostile Media Effect; Questionable Research Practices: p-Hacking, Replication, and Fraud…”