Packin'

It's better to have a gun and not need one, then to need one and not have one...or think you do.

A study conducted a Notre Dame University found that when you are holding a gun, you're more likely to think others are holding them too.  Researchers showed participants partially obstructed images of people and asked them to say whether the person was holding a neutral object (a phone or soda can for example) while they were holding either a gun or a soft foam ball.  Regardless of the image shown, like people in snow masks or a broad range of races, those who themselves were holding a gun consistently over-estimated the incidence of guns being held in the images. Scientist quote!  

"Beliefs, expectations and emotions can all influence an observer's ability to detect and to categorize objects as guns. Now we know that a person's ability to act in certain ways can bias their recognition of objects as well, and in dramatic ways. It seems that people have a hard time separating their thoughts about what they perceive and their thoughts about how they can or should act."

I guess that's why cops seem to be a little twitchy...