Study links guns, aggression in men - merged

ExSoldier · May 9th, 2006, 09:26 AM

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/09/he...in&oref=slogin

In Men, 'Trigger-Happy' May Be a Hormonal Impulse
NY Times ^ | May 9, 2006 | BENEDICT CAREY

Posted on 05/09/2006

Handling a gun stirs a hormonal reaction in men that primes them for aggression, new research suggests.

Psychologists at Knox College in Galesburg, Ill., enrolled 30 male students in what they described as a taste study. The researchers took saliva samples from the students and measured testosterone levels.

They then seated the young men, one at a time, at a table in a bare room; on the table were pieces of paper and either the board game Mouse Trap or a large handgun.

Their instructions: take apart the game or the gun and write directions for assembly and disassembly.

Fifteen minutes later, the psychologists measured saliva testosterone again and found that the levels had spiked in men who had handled the gun but had stayed steady in those working with the board game.

The "taste sensitivity" phase of the experiment was in fact intended to measure aggressive impulses. After the writing assignment, the young men were asked to rate the taste of a drink, a cup of water with a drop of hot sauce in it. They were then told to prepare a drink for the next person in the experiment, adding as much hot sauce as they liked.

"Those who had handled the gun put in about three times as much as the others — 13 grams on average, which is a lot," said Tim Kasser, one of the authors. He worked with Francis McAndrew, also of Knox, and Jennifer Klinesmith, a former student who had the idea for the study, due to appear in Psychological Science.

Critics of research linking guns to aggressiveness have argued that people who handle guns in experiments tend to act out or think violent thoughts simply because they sense the expectations of the experimenters. The same could be true of this study:

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...

Steelhorse · May 9th, 2006, 09:33 AM

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/nation...482_gun09.html

Tuesday, May 9, 2006

Study links guns, aggression in men

By BENEDICT CAREY
THE NEW YORK TIMES

Handling a gun stirs a hormonal reaction in men that primes them for aggression, new research suggests.

Psychologists at Knox College in Galesburg, Ill., enrolled 30 male students in what they described as a taste study. The researchers took saliva samples from the students and measured testosterone levels.

They then seated the young men, one at a time, at a table in a bare room; on the table were pieces of paper and either the board game Mouse Trap or a large handgun. Their instructions: Take apart the game or the gun and write directions for assembly and disassembly.

Fifteen minutes later, the psychologists measured saliva testosterone again and found that the levels had spiked in men who had handled the gun but had stayed steady in those working with the board game.

The "taste sensitivity" phase of the experiment was in fact intended to measure aggressive impulses.

After the writing assignment, the young men were asked to rate the taste of a drink, a cup of water with a drop of hot sauce in it.

The men were then told to prepare a drink for the next person in the experiment, adding as much hot sauce as they liked.

"Those who had handled the gun put in about three times as much as the others -- 13 grams on average, which is a lot," said Tim Kasser, one of the authors.

He worked with Francis McAndrew, also of Knox, and Jennifer Klinesmith, a former student.

Critics of research linking guns to aggressiveness have argued that people who handle guns in experiments tend to act out or think violent thoughts simply because they sense the expectations of the experimenters.

4my son · May 9th, 2006, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steelhorse

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/nation...482_gun09.html

Handling a gun stirs a hormonal reaction in men that primes them for aggression, new research suggests.

Psychologists at Knox College in Galesburg, Ill., enrolled 30 male students in what they described as a taste study.

30 students,

Yeah, that's enough to consider it to be a definative study and publish the results.

Testoserone, Dosen't that link to other feelings in young men too.

Maybe they should put a couple of copies of Playboy out, and see how much hot sauce they put in the water after examining those.

4my son · May 9th, 2006, 10:08 AM

This is up in the General Firearms section too.

(Done a merge now Mike - thx for pointing that out, Chris)

P95Carry · May 9th, 2006, 10:13 AM

OMG - for some reason this sorta thing makes me think of articles saying stuff like - too many gummy bears will give you high blood pressure or similar!!!

I have little doubt a gun in hand produces a reaction - but let's face it - it is far from unpredictable, that just that engenders thoughts of gun useage if only to realize how potentially lethal it could be. Plenty enough to produce ''scenario'' thoughts but for a sane person that's as far as it goes - NO need whatsoever for a progression from that into homicidal behavior - quite the opposite.

Sure, bound to be a few individuals who are not too safe and might think this to excess but in essence they are trying something akin to that absurd survey on drivers, guns and road rage.

artz · May 9th, 2006, 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by P95Carry

OMG - for some reason this sorta thing makes me think of articles saying stuff like - too many gummy bears will give you high blood pressure or similar!!!

LOL.... so true...
Its scary that so much money is spent in order to educate these people to become the so-called professionals that they are. And then the public calls them prominate citizens.... go figure.

idiots !

QKShooter · May 9th, 2006, 10:25 AM

I just got done "early morning detail stripping" two handguns out in the backyard and giving them a Super Cleaning.

You guys are really going to get the Hot Sauce if you stop over for coffee at my house this morning.

Don't these people have anything better to do with their time?

Rock and Glock · May 9th, 2006, 10:39 AM

A sample of 30 proves nothing. Nada. Zip. The idiocy of some academics still staggers me. I find it deplorable that "science" is devolving into a mission designed to create a sound bite for public consumption rather than further true science.

That our journalists publish this trash (as well as the millions of "gummy bear", "caffeine", "chocolate", psuedo "tests") without any critical analysis says something about the journalistic experience as well.

Weeg · May 9th, 2006, 11:14 AM

NY Times = Pravda

.

David III · May 9th, 2006, 04:54 PM

I'm going to go home tonight and have a beer on my patio with my wife. Sample size is 2. People who carry guns drink beer.
That was easy! I'm going to be a prominent researcher......
Next - I'll need a Penthouse model and my Harley. I predict high testosterone followed by severe pain when my wife sees the Penthouse model.

May 9th, 2006, 09:26 AM	#1
ExSoldier VIP Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Coral Gables, FL Posts: 4,236	Y'All Are Going to LOVE this one!!! http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/09/he...in&oref=slogin In Men, 'Trigger-Happy' May Be a Hormonal Impulse NY Times ^ \| May 9, 2006 \| BENEDICT CAREY Posted on 05/09/2006 Handling a gun stirs a hormonal reaction in men that primes them for aggression, new research suggests. Psychologists at Knox College in Galesburg, Ill., enrolled 30 male students in what they described as a taste study. The researchers took saliva samples from the students and measured testosterone levels. They then seated the young men, one at a time, at a table in a bare room; on the table were pieces of paper and either the board game Mouse Trap or a large handgun. Their instructions: take apart the game or the gun and write directions for assembly and disassembly. Fifteen minutes later, the psychologists measured saliva testosterone again and found that the levels had spiked in men who had handled the gun but had stayed steady in those working with the board game. The "taste sensitivity" phase of the experiment was in fact intended to measure aggressive impulses. After the writing assignment, the young men were asked to rate the taste of a drink, a cup of water with a drop of hot sauce in it. They were then told to prepare a drink for the next person in the experiment, adding as much hot sauce as they liked. "Those who had handled the gun put in about three times as much as the others — 13 grams on average, which is a lot," said Tim Kasser, one of the authors. He worked with Francis McAndrew, also of Knox, and Jennifer Klinesmith, a former student who had the idea for the study, due to appear in Psychological Science. Critics of research linking guns to aggressiveness have argued that people who handle guns in experiments tend to act out or think violent thoughts simply because they sense the expectations of the experimenters. The same could be true of this study: (Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ... __________________ Former Infantry Captain; 20 yrs as an NRA Certified Instructor; Avid practitioner of the martial art: KLIK-PAO.

May 9th, 2006, 09:33 AM	#2
Steelhorse Closed Account Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 178	Study links guns, aggression in men - merged http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/nation...482_gun09.html Tuesday, May 9, 2006 Study links guns, aggression in men By BENEDICT CAREY THE NEW YORK TIMES Handling a gun stirs a hormonal reaction in men that primes them for aggression, new research suggests. Psychologists at Knox College in Galesburg, Ill., enrolled 30 male students in what they described as a taste study. The researchers took saliva samples from the students and measured testosterone levels. They then seated the young men, one at a time, at a table in a bare room; on the table were pieces of paper and either the board game Mouse Trap or a large handgun. Their instructions: Take apart the game or the gun and write directions for assembly and disassembly. Fifteen minutes later, the psychologists measured saliva testosterone again and found that the levels had spiked in men who had handled the gun but had stayed steady in those working with the board game. The "taste sensitivity" phase of the experiment was in fact intended to measure aggressive impulses. After the writing assignment, the young men were asked to rate the taste of a drink, a cup of water with a drop of hot sauce in it. The men were then told to prepare a drink for the next person in the experiment, adding as much hot sauce as they liked. "Those who had handled the gun put in about three times as much as the others -- 13 grams on average, which is a lot," said Tim Kasser, one of the authors. He worked with Francis McAndrew, also of Knox, and Jennifer Klinesmith, a former student. Critics of research linking guns to aggressiveness have argued that people who handle guns in experiments tend to act out or think violent thoughts simply because they sense the expectations of the experimenters.

May 9th, 2006, 10:08 AM	#4
4my son Distinguished Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Out side of Richmond, VA Posts: 1,453	This is up in the General Firearms section too. (Done a merge now Mike - thx for pointing that out, Chris) __________________ "fundamental principle of American law that a government and its agents are under no general duty to provide public services, such as police protection, to any individual citizen." [Warren v. District of Columbia,(D.C. Ct. of Ap., 1981)] If I have to explain it, you wouldn't understand

May 9th, 2006, 10:13 AM	#5
P95Carry Assistant Administrator Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: South West PA Posts: 25,400	OMG - for some reason this sorta thing makes me think of articles saying stuff like - too many gummy bears will give you high blood pressure or similar!!! I have little doubt a gun in hand produces a reaction - but let's face it - it is far from unpredictable, that just that engenders thoughts of gun useage if only to realize how potentially lethal it could be. Plenty enough to produce ''scenario'' thoughts but for a sane person that's as far as it goes - NO need whatsoever for a progression from that into homicidal behavior - quite the opposite. Sure, bound to be a few individuals who are not too safe and might think this to excess but in essence they are trying something akin to that absurd survey on drivers, guns and road rage. __________________ Chris - P95 NRA Certified Instructor & NRA Life Member. "To own a gun and assume that you are armed is like owning a piano and assuming that you are a musician!." If a BG dies as the result of pointing a gun at me, then he has merely succumbed to an occupational hazard of being a thug

May 9th, 2006, 10:39 AM	#8
Rock and Glock VIP Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Colorado at 9,500' Posts: 3,906	A sample of 30 proves nothing. Nada. Zip. The idiocy of some academics still staggers me. I find it deplorable that "science" is devolving into a mission designed to create a sound bite for public consumption rather than further true science. That our journalists publish this trash (as well as the millions of "gummy bear", "caffeine", "chocolate", psuedo "tests") without any critical analysis says something about the journalistic experience as well. __________________ Richard NRA Life Member "I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free." Michelangelo Buonarroti

May 9th, 2006, 10:25 AM	#7
QKShooter Assistant Administrator Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Off Of The X Posts: 20,463	I just got done "early morning detail stripping" two handguns out in the backyard and giving them a Super Cleaning. You guys are really going to get the Hot Sauce if you stop over for coffee at my house this morning. Don't these people have anything better to do with their time?

May 9th, 2006, 11:14 AM	#9
Weeg Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: NC Posts: 290	NY Times = Pravda .

May 9th, 2006, 04:54 PM	#10
David III Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Sturgeon, MO Posts: 745	I'm going to go home tonight and have a beer on my patio with my wife. Sample size is 2. People who carry guns drink beer. That was easy! I'm going to be a prominent researcher...... Next - I'll need a Penthouse model and my Harley. I predict high testosterone followed by severe pain when my wife sees the Penthouse model.

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