This study investigated the “Weapons Effect” in a field setting to determine if the presence of a weapon would facilitate aggressive responses in drivers of automobiles who had been blocked for 12 sec by a low status pick-up truck. 60 subjects were chosen from a group of drivers arriving at an intersection and exposed to one of three conditions (weapon present in automobile, pedestrian with weapon, no weapon present). Results were recorded in the form of frequency or presence of horn-honking, latency, and additional behaviors. No significant difference among three conditions emerged and aggressive responses in general were absent. The results are discussed in terms of differences in situation and saliency of weapon cues.
References
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