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).
Anderson, Craig A., Benjamin, Arlin J., & Bartholow, Bruce D. (1998). Does the Gun Pull the Trigger? Automatic Priming Effects of Weapon Pictures and Weapon Names. Psychological Science, 9(4), p. 308-314.
Bartholow, Bruce D., Anderson, Craig A., Carnagey, Nicholas L., & Benjamin Jr., Arlin J. (2005). Interactive effects of life experience and situational cues on aggression: The weapons priming effect in hunters and nonhunters. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 41, p. 48-60.
Brennan, Iain R. & Moore, Simon C. (2009). Weapons and violence: A review of theory and research. Aggression and Violent Behaviour, 14, p. 215-225.
Buss, A. H., Booker, A., & Buss, E., (1972). Firing a weapon and aggression. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 22, p. 196-202.
Caprara, G. V., Renzi, P., Amolini, P., D'Imperio, G., & Travaglia, G. (1984). The eliciting cue value of aggressive slides reconsidered in a personological perspective: The weapons effect and irritability. European Journal of Social Psychology, 14, p. 313-322.
Carlson, Michael, Marcus-Newhall, Amy, & Miller, Norman (1990). Effects of Situational Aggression Cues: A Quantitative Review. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 58 (4), p. 622-633.
Geen, Russell, & Donnerstein, Edward (1998). Human aggression: Theories, research, and implications for social policy. San Diego, CA: Academic Press.
Page, D. & O’Neal, E. (1977). “Weapons effect” without demand characteristics. Psychological Reports, 41, p. 29-30.
Page, M. M. & Scheidt, R. J. (1971). The elusive weapons effect: Demand awareness, evaluation apprehension, and slightly sophisticated subjects. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 20, p. 304-318.
Simons, L. S., & Turner, C. W. (1974). A further investigation of the weapons effect. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. 1(1), p. 186-188.
Turner, C. W., Simons, L. S., Berkowitz, L., & Frodi, A. (1977). The stimulating and inhibiting effects of weapons on aggressive behavior. Aggressive Behavior, 3, p. 355-378.