Firearms are enshrined in America, yet the motivations for ownership have been understudied by psychologists.But new research shows a psychological dependence for many on the gun. For some, owning a gun actsas a coping mechanism to manage psychological threats like losing one’s status in society.
<p>A new study finds a strong county-level correlation between the number of slaves owned before the Civil War and the number of guns owned today. Is the answer in the violent history of white supremacy in the Reconstruction and Jim Crow eras? </p>