Behavioral science & gun violence

Gun violence, like many self-destructive behaviors (suicide, drug overdose, etc.), has proven hard to change. Conventional wisdom assumes these behaviors stem from people making deliberate, rational benefit–cost calculations, which has led to a policy focus on incentives (sticks and carrots). But most shootings are not premeditated or motivated by economic considerations; they’re in-the-moment arguments that spiral and end in tragedy because someone has a gun. In such settings, behavior seems more automatic than deliberate. Behavioral science gives us a way to understand and change that behavior. A growing body of research shows that this seemingly intractable problem is remarkably responsive to the right policies, including changes to the choice environment and even efforts to “change the chooser.”