NCJ Number
29522
Date Published
1975
Length
25 pages
Annotation
A SOCIAL-PSYCHOLOGICAL STUDY OF THE ATTITUDES OF PERSONS WHO OWN FIREARMS IN THE UNITED STATES.
Abstract
BASED ON A SURVEY OF THE PERTINENT LITERATURE, THE AUTHORS CONSTRUCTED FIVE PROPOSITIONS AND TESTED THEM USING DATA GATHERED BY THE NATIONAL OPINION RESEARCH CENTER IN 1973. THE RESULTS SHOWED AS EXPECTED THAT LIBERAL PERSONS ARE LESS LIKELY TO OWN GUNS THAN NON-LIBERALS; PERSONS WHO ARE MORE VIOLENCE PRONE ARE MORE LIKELY TO OWN GUNS; AND MORE PESSIMISTIC PERSONS ARE LESS LIKELY TO OWN GUNS. THE STUDY ALSO INDICATED THAT THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN CRIMINAL VICTIMS ARE MORE LIKELY TO OWN GUNS, BUT NOT TO THE DEGREE EXPECTED. THE UNEXPECTED RESULTS WAS THAT THOSE WHO EXPRESSED FEAR OF THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS WERE LESS LIKELY TO OWN GUNS THAN THOSE WHO DO NOT FEAR THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS. THE AUTHORS ARE UNABLE TO PROVIDE ANY SATISFACTORY EXPLANATION FOR THIS SURPRISE FINDING.