The Paradox of Mass Shootings and Gun-Policy Attitudes: Experimental Evidence From a Terror Management Perspective

• In Event: Emotion in Political Communication

Abstract

Despite a rash of publicized mass shootings over the past two decades, opinion polls showed the continued decline for gun regulation. To resolve this seemingly counterintuitive phenomenon, this article tackled the widely accepted assumption that the tragic cases of mass shooting is useful in boosting public support for gun control initiatives. In line with the terror management theory, experimental evidence from three studies found this assumption problematic. The results showed that news exposure to mass shootings heightened individuals’ death anxiety, which in turn reinforced their pre-existing attitudes toward gun policies. Most interestingly, after the exposure to mass shooting stories, Republicans decreased their support for gun control and strengthened their support for open carry.

Author

• S Mo Jang, U of South Carolina