[01] JoEllen Pederson, Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminal Justice Studies, Longwood University, Farmville, Virginia, United States of America. [02] Thomas L. Hall, Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminal Justice Studies, Longwood University, Farmville, Virginia, United States of America. [03] Bradley Foster, Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminal Justice Studies, Longwood University, Farmville, Virginia, United States of America. [04] Jessie E. Coates, Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminal Justice Studies, Longwood University, Farmville, Virginia, United States of America.

Previous research that examines attitudes towards gun control consistently argues that self-interest is an important predicting factor in favoring or opposing gun control measures. In previous research, this has been understood and tested in terms of owning a gun resulting in opposition to gun control (Wolpert and Gimple 1998; O’Brien et al 2013). However, this relationship has not been specifically tested by age. While research shows a positive correlation between age and a desire to own guns, no research directly tests self-interest within older adult populations who own guns. The current research addresses the question; does self-interest predict attitudes towards gun control in older adult populations who currently own guns? This research uses the 2012 wave of the General Social Survey to test self-interest and attitudes toward gun control specifically in older adult populations. Those in the 70-79 cohort are the most likely to report owning a gun (45.5%), while also having one of the highest rates of support for gun control (76.6%), disproving what has been suggested about self-interest and gun control. A binary logistic regression model shows this relationship remains even after controlling for other factors, like political ideology.

Gun Control, Gun Ownership, Attitudes, Self-Interest

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