Academic Consequences of Legal Handgun Carrying on College Campuses

Many states have discussed allowing concealed handguns on college campuses, known colloquially as campus carry. It is crucial to gauge whether allowing campus carry affects more than just crime rates. Previous research indicated overwhelmingly negative attitudes towards allowing campus carry. The purpose of the current study was to determine whether knowledge of someone carrying a concealed handgun in class would affect students’ ability to perform well on an exam. Across two studies, evidence and theoretical rationale suggested that knowledge of someone carrying a concealed handgun in class negatively impacted learning, although non-significantly. Individuals who were told that others (i.e., the professor and/or fellow students) were carrying a concealed handgun did worse on a post-lecture exam than those who are not led to this belief, but this finding was not significant. This work should be important to legislators and the general public because of the social and academic consequences of allowing campus carry