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Anxious About Social Violence: The Emotional Underpinnings of Support for Gun Control

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  • Alexandra Filindra
  • Loren Collingwood
  • Noah J. Kaplan

Abstract

Objective We theorize that anxiety (fear) related to mass shootings and social violence increases support for gun control among the American public. Methods We support our theory with a regression discontinuity analysis based on an actual mass shooting, observational analyses from the same data set testing the relationship between fear and support for gun control, and two survey experiments that prime anxiety in the context of mass shootings and social violence. Findings We show that support for gun control increased on the day after an actual mass shooting. Observational analysis shows a positive correlation between fear of crime and support for gun control. One priming experiment shows that inducing anxiety about mass shootings increases support for gun control. A second priming experiment shows that exposure to a story about social violence activates anxiety and also increases support for gun control. Conclusions Our analyses show that anxiety related to mass shootings and mass violence increases support for gun control.

Suggested Citation

  • Alexandra Filindra & Loren Collingwood & Noah J. Kaplan, 2020. "Anxious About Social Violence: The Emotional Underpinnings of Support for Gun Control," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 101(5), pages 2101-2120, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:socsci:v:101:y:2020:i:5:p:2101-2120
    DOI: 10.1111/ssqu.12857
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Alexandra Filindra & Noah Kaplan, 2017. "Testing Theories of Gun Policy Preferences Among Blacks, Latinos, and Whites in America-super-," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 98(2), pages 413-428, June.
    2. Darren W. Davis & Brian D. Silver, 2004. "Civil Liberties vs. Security: Public Opinion in the Context of the Terrorist Attacks on America," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 48(1), pages 28-46, January.
    3. Matthew J. Lacombe & Adam J. Howat & Jacob E. Rothschild, 2019. "Gun Ownership as a Social Identity: Estimating Behavioral and Attitudinal Relationships," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 100(6), pages 2408-2424, October.
    4. Ted Brader & Nicholas A. Valentino & Elizabeth Suhay, 2008. "What Triggers Public Opposition to Immigration? Anxiety, Group Cues, and Immigration Threat," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 52(4), pages 959-978, October.
    5. Kleck, Gary & Gertz, Marc & Bratton, Jason, 2009. "Why do people support gun control?: Alternative explanations of support for handgun bans," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 37(5), pages 496-504, September.
    6. Barney, David J & Schaffner, Brian F, 2019. "Reexamining the Effect of Mass Shootings on Public Support for Gun Control," British Journal of Political Science, Cambridge University Press, vol. 49(4), pages 1555-1565, October.
    7. Kerry O’Brien & Walter Forrest & Dermot Lynott & Michael Daly, 2013. "Racism, Gun Ownership and Gun Control: Biased Attitudes in US Whites May Influence Policy Decisions," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(10), pages 1-10, October.
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    Cited by:

    1. Abigail Vegter & Alexandra T. Middlewood, 2022. "The massacre generation: Young people and attitudes about mass shooting prevention," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 103(4), pages 820-832, July.

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