Which of the following scenarios best exemplifies the weapons effect?
A) A reporter goes to a gun show to cover a story for the local paper. On the way home he stops for lunch, and he finds himself acting aggressively and rudely to the waiter.
B) A gun owner finds that she acts tougher and colder now that she owns a gun.
C) A hardened criminal notices that a man has his hand in his pocket, and immediately assumes that the man is concealing a gun.
D) A country learns that another country is experimenting with nuclear technology, and immediately assumes that the other country is planning an attack.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The weapons effect is the tendency for weapons, such as guns, to increase aggression in individuals. In this scenario, the presence of the gun (as the reporter had just been at a gun show) may have subconsciously triggered aggressive behavior towards the waiter. Options B, C, and D do not exemplify the weapons effect as directly as option A.

Which of the Following Scenarios Best Exemplifies the Weapons Effect