TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2019//
TI  - Mass shootings backfire: the boomerang effects of death concerns on policy attitudes
JO  - Media psychology
A1  - Jang, S. Mo
SP  - 298
EP  - 322
VL  - 22
IS  - 2
N2  - Fear-inducing communication is commonly adopted in the public domain. For example, advocates of gun control have believed that the tragic cases of mass shooting would be an effective persuasive tool to draw favorable public opinion about gun control policies. However, this assumption does not meet reality. Despite a rash of mass shootings over the past 2 decades, public support for gun regulation has continued to decline. To resolve this dilemma, this article conducted 3 experiments and provided compelling explanations of how threatening shooting stories generated the unintended effects. In line with the terror management theory, the moderated mediation model showed that shooting stories produced partisan polarization on gun policies. Theoretical and practical implications of fear-inducing messages are discussed.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 1521-3269
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15213269.2017.1421471
ID  - ref1
ER  -