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A recent study published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research explored the relationship between firearm ownership, cognitive functioning, and psychiatric symptoms among U.S. adults. The researchers found that the intention to purchase a firearm was linked to heightened psychiatric symptoms but was unrelated to cognitive functioning.
The researchers were motivated to explore the relationship between firearm ownership and cognitive functioning due to the pressing public health concerns surrounding firearm-related fatalities in the United States. Firearms account for the majority of suicides and a significant portion of other violent deaths, underscoring the need to understand the psychological and cognitive factors that contribute to these outcomes.
Previous research indicated that firearm ownership, particularly for protection, is associated with heightened threat sensitivity and cognitive-affective processes, such as elevated anxiety and decision-making disruptions. These factors potentially increase the risk of firearm-related fatalities, making it crucial to investigate them further.
Most existing studies on firearm ownership relied heavily on self-reported data, which can be subjective and prone to biases. Self-report methodologies often fail to capture the objective cognitive processes underlying firearm ownership and intentions to acquire firearms. This gap in the literature prompted the researchers to utilize objective cognitive measures to gain a clearer, more reliable understanding of the cognitive functions associated with firearm ownership.
The researchers recruited 660 participants through ResearchMatch, an online survey platform, between 2021 and 2023. Participants had to be at least 18 years old, English-speaking, and capable of completing the informed consent process.
Initially, participants completed an online self-report survey. From this initial pool, 112 participants were selected to undergo further cognitive testing. These participants participated in a videoconferencing session where they provided consent again and completed cognitive performance tasks. This approach ensured the validity of the data collected and mitigated the risk of fraudulent participation.
The cognitive performance tasks were administered using the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB), which included three specific tests: the Cambridge Gambling Task (CGT), the Intra-Extra Dimensional Set Shift (IED), and the Emotional Bias Task (EBT). The CGT assessed decision-making and risk-taking behavior, the IED evaluated mental flexibility and attentional shifts, and the EBT measured perceptual bias in recognizing facial emotions. Additionally, participants’ psychiatric symptoms were assessed using standardized questionnaires for depression, anxiety, PTSD, alcohol use, and suicidal thoughts.
One of the key findings was that participants who intended to purchase a firearm within the next year did not exhibit differences in cognitive functioning compared to those who did not have such intentions. However, this group did report higher levels of psychiatric symptoms, including anxiety, depression, PTSD, alcohol use, and suicidal thoughts. This suggests that the intention to acquire a firearm is linked more closely to psychiatric health than to cognitive abilities.
Another notable finding was that owning a firearm for protection was associated with decreased mental flexibility, which involves adapting attention and shifting mental strategies. Interestingly, the study found no significant differences between firearm owners and non-owners in terms of risk-taking behavior and emotional bias.
But the study has some limitations. Firstly, the sample was predominantly white (79%), which limits the generalizability of the results to other racial and ethnic groups. Another limitation is the relatively small sample size, which may reduce the statistical power of the findings.
“Despite these limitations, the present study is the first to explore objective cognitive functioning in relation to protective firearm ownership and intent to purchase firearms,” the researchers concluded. “Future studies should further explore the impact of cognitive flexibility within a broader cognitive-affective framework for understanding critical firearm ownership variables and their potential influence on firearm mortality.”
The study, “Firearm ownership factors and cognitive functioning: A preliminary study,” was authored by Darrin M. Aase, Stephanie McManimen, Jarrod Hay, Cameron Long, and Craig J. Bryan.
