Opinions on Gun Policy and How Information Can Influence Them

Document Type

Capstone Enhancement

Publication Date

2024

Abstract

Prevalent mass shootings are a uniquely American phenomenon. In order to implement regulations that could prevent these disastrous events, it is important to understand public opinion on gun control. There are a myriad of popular policies that could serve as possible solutions to this public health crisis. These include universal background checks, assault weapon bans, age requirements, and safe storage and training requirements. As an addition to my senior thesis examining the intersection between effectiveness and justness for gun control policies, I will be investigating if public opinion on gun policy can be swayed with new information. People have varying opinions, and in order to pass gun control policy, there must be public support. By exposing individuals to data that backs up the effectiveness of policies, I will be testing if their opinions are able to be influenced. ONU students will be asked about their opinions on gun control and will then be exposed to a passage that offers data backing up the effectiveness of a specific policy. I will then be examining which groups of students, based on prior opinions, are most influenced by the passage. The goal of this project is to determine if gun policy opinions can be impacted by exposure to new information.

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