IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/socsci/v101y2020i5p2121-2136.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Gun Ownership and Life Satisfaction in the United States

Author

Listed:
  • Terrence D. Hill
  • Benjamin Dowd‐Arrow
  • Amy M. Burdette
  • Tara D. Warner

Abstract

Objective Although there is little empirical evidence linking gun ownership with personal well‐being, speculation is widespread in gun culture. In this article, we test whether people who own guns are more or less satisfied with their lives than people who do not own guns. Methods We employ data collected from three national surveys, the Baylor Religion Survey (2014), the Chapman University Survey on American Fears (2014), and the General Social Survey (2018) to formally assess this understudied association. Results In adjusted models, gun ownership was unrelated to life satisfaction. This general pattern was consistent across surveys, different measures and specifications of life satisfaction, and a wide range of subgroups. Conclusion Our analyses contribute to the growing study of gun ownership and personal well‐being and challenge theoretical perspectives and cultural narratives about how owning a gun can contribute favorably to one's quality of life.

Suggested Citation

  • Terrence D. Hill & Benjamin Dowd‐Arrow & Amy M. Burdette & Tara D. Warner, 2020. "Gun Ownership and Life Satisfaction in the United States," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 101(5), pages 2121-2136, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:socsci:v:101:y:2020:i:5:p:2121-2136
    DOI: 10.1111/ssqu.12860
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/ssqu.12860
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/ssqu.12860?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Steven Shepherd & Aaron C. Kay, 2018. "Guns as a Source of Order and Chaos: Compensatory Control and the Psychological (Dis)Utility of Guns for Liberals and Conservatives," Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, University of Chicago Press, vol. 3(1), pages 16-26.
    2. Miller, M. & Azrael, D. & Hemenway, D., 2002. "Rates of household firearm ownership and homicide across US regions and states, 1988-1997," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 92(12), pages 1988-1993.
    3. Spitzer, S.A. & Staudenmayer, K.L. & Tennakoon, L. & Spain, D.A. & Weiser, T.G., 2017. "Costs and financial burden of initial hospitalizations for firearm injuries in the United States, 2006-2014," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 107(5), pages 770-774.
    4. repec:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2017.303684_9 is not listed on IDEAS
    5. Christopher Peterson & Nansook Park & Martin Seligman, 2005. "Orientations to happiness and life satisfaction: the full life versus the empty life," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 6(1), pages 25-41, March.
    6. Trent Steidley & Cynthia G. Colen, 2017. "Framing the Gun Control Debate: Press Releases and Framing Strategies of the National Rifle Association and the Brady Campaign," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 98(2), pages 608-627, June.
    7. Miller, Matthew & Hemenway, David & Azrael, Deborah, 2007. "State-level homicide victimization rates in the US in relation to survey measures of household firearm ownership, 2001-2003," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 64(3), pages 656-664, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Testa, Alexander & Tsai, Jack, 2023. "Loneliness and firearm acquisition among low-income U.S. veterans: Findings from the National Veteran Homeless and Other Poverty Experiences (NV-HOPE) study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 338(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Christoph Koenig & David Schindler, 2018. "Dynamics in Gun Ownership and Crime - Evidence from the Aftermath of Sandy Hook," Bristol Economics Discussion Papers 18/694, School of Economics, University of Bristol, UK.
    2. Prinz, Aloys & Bünger, Björn, 2009. "From full life to balanced life: Extending Martin Seligman's route to happiness," CAWM Discussion Papers 17, University of Münster, Münster Center for Economic Policy (MEP).
    3. Ying Yang & Peipei Li & Yu Kou, 2017. "Orientations to Happiness and Subjective Well-Being in Chinese Adolescents," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 10(4), pages 881-897, December.
    4. Sjoerd Halem & Eeske Roekel & Jaap Denissen, 2024. "Understanding the Dynamics of Hedonic and Eudaimonic Motives on Daily Well-Being: Insights from Experience Sampling Data," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 25(7), pages 1-25, October.
    5. Krzysztof Zagórski, 2011. "Income and Happiness in Time of Post-Communist Modernization," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 104(2), pages 331-349, November.
    6. Mary C. Daly & Daniel J. Wilson & Norman J. Johnson, 2013. "Relative Status and Well-Being: Evidence from U.S. Suicide Deaths," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 95(5), pages 1480-1500, December.
    7. Japutra, Arnold & Septianto, Felix & Can, Ali Selcuk, 2022. "Feeling grateful versus happy? The effects of emotional appeals in advertisements on self-made products," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    8. R. A. Burns, 2020. "Age-Related Differences in the Factor Structure of Multiple Wellbeing Indicators in a Large Multinational European Survey," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 21(1), pages 37-52, January.
    9. Gerdes, Madison B, 2023. "Assessing the relationship between gun ownership and fear of mass shootings," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 336(C).
    10. Antonella Delle Fave & Ingrid Brdar & Teresa Freire & Dianne Vella-Brodrick & Marié Wissing, 2011. "The Eudaimonic and Hedonic Components of Happiness: Qualitative and Quantitative Findings," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 100(2), pages 185-207, January.
    11. N. Rickard & D. Vella-Brodrick, 2014. "Changes in Well-Being: Complementing a Psychosocial Approach with Neurobiological Insights," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 117(2), pages 437-457, June.
    12. Hezhi Chen & Zhijia Zeng, 2023. "Seeking Pleasure is Good, but Avoiding Pain is Bad: Distinguishing Hedonic Approach from Hedonic Avoidance Orientations," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 24(7), pages 2377-2393, October.
    13. Kennon M. Sheldon & Mike Corcoran & Mike Prentice, 2019. "Pursuing Eudaimonic Functioning Versus Pursuing Hedonic Well-Being: The First Goal Succeeds in Its Aim, Whereas the Second Does Not," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 20(3), pages 919-933, March.
    14. Itumeleng P. Khumalo & Angelina Wilson-Fadiji & Symen A. Brouwers, 2020. "Well-Being Orientations and Time Perspective Across Cultural Tightness–Looseness Latent Classes in Africa," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 21(5), pages 1681-1703, June.
    15. Matthew D Rablen, 2012. "The promotion of local wellbeing: A primer for policymakers," Local Economy, London South Bank University, vol. 27(3), pages 297-314, May.
    16. M. Joseph Sirgy & Jiyun Wu, 2009. "The Pleasant Life, the Engaged Life, and the Meaningful Life: What about the Balanced Life?," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 10(2), pages 183-196, April.
    17. Jordan A. Booker & Julie C. Dunsmore, 2019. "Testing Direct and Indirect Ties of Self-Compassion with Subjective Well-Being," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 20(5), pages 1563-1585, June.
    18. Domingo Villavicencio-Aguilar & Edgardo René Chacón-Andrade & Maria Fernanda Durón-Ramos, 2020. "Data on Orientation to Happiness in Higher Education Institutions from Mexico and El Salvador," Data, MDPI, vol. 5(1), pages 1-5, March.
    19. Kaitlin A. Harding & Karly M. Murphy & Amy Mezulis, 2019. "Ruminating on the Positive: Paths from Trait Positive Emotionality to Event-Specific Gratitude," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 20(1), pages 101-117, January.
    20. Tyler Renshaw & Alex Cohen, 2014. "Life Satisfaction as a Distinguishing Indicator of College Student Functioning: Further Validation of the Two-Continua Model of Mental Health," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 117(1), pages 319-334, May.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:socsci:v:101:y:2020:i:5:p:2121-2136. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0038-4941 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.