Gun-shy: Refusal to answer questions about firearm ownership

Publication date: Available online 5 May 2018Source: The Social Science JournalAuthor(s): R. UrbatschAbstractIn recent years, surveys in the United States have faced increasing refusal to answer questions about firearm ownership, even as other similar questions see no comparable up-tick in item nonresponse. Asymmetrical polarization, elite messaging, and changing media institutions all suggest that the surging nonresponse concerning gun-ownership questions may be increasingly concentrated among those with rightward political and partisan leanings, potentially skewing inferences about gun-related issues. Data from the General Social Survey confirms that the increase in probability of declining to answer firearm-ownership questions is particularly stark among those identifying as Republicans, particularly those with a conservative outlook skeptical of government.
Source: The Social Science Journal - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research