When "Neighborhood Watch" Gets Out of Hand

[GenuineRisk]

Interesting article on the "Phantom Gun Effect"- that if you yourself are holding a gun, you are more likely to perceive someone else as holding a gun, even if he is not:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/health...0,180384.story

[Clip-Clop]

Originally Posted by GenuineRisk

Interesting article on the "Phantom Gun Effect"- that if you yourself are holding a gun, you are more likely to perceive someone else as holding a gun, even if he is not:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/health...0,180384.story

Cool study, I would like to see the data and the control pictures. Police "need" to assume if you are reaching for or pointing something at them that it is a weapon and respond accordingly. The perpetrators in police shootings are generally told, loudly and repeatedly, to not move, moving especially in the direction of the police or toward an unknown object of any kind will typically get the response you would expect. Shoot the guy, firing back at someone means you might be already hit.
Cops here shoot a lot of people, probably because everyone has guns...