TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2020//
TI  - Protective gun ownership as a coping mechanism
JO  - Perspectives on psychological science
A1  - Buttrick, Nicholas
SP  - ePub
EP  - ePub
VL  - ePub
IS  - ePub
N2  - Firearms are one of the central flashpoints in American life, and yet the motivations underlying their ownership have been generally understudied by psychologists. In this article, I review work from across the social sciences to model the psychological utility that people get from gun ownership. I propose the coping model of protective gun ownership and argue that those who own their weapon for protection are using their gun symbolically as an aid to manage psychological threats-to their safety, control, and sense of belongingness-that come from their belief that the world is a dangerous place and that society will not keep them safe. I discuss the ramifications of this coping strategy and present a research agenda for exploring this framework.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 1745-6916
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1745691619898847
ID  - ref1
ER  -