The onslaught of gun violence in America seems never to end.
This year alone, at least 247 mass shootings - in which at least four people are shot, including survivors and shooters - have occurred, most recently and most notoriously in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
In the face of such violence, people react with horror and anger, sadness and shock, feelings that fade until the next shooting.
"There is a feeling of helplessness," said UO psychology professor Paul Slovic, who also heads the firm Decision Research. "People don't feel their voices can be translated into action."
But in reality, people have more power than they realize, he said. That initial sense of helplessness is what Slovic and his colleagues call pseudoinefficacy.
The brain operates in two ways, one fast and one slow, Slovic said. The fast way of thinking is a gut reaction to events, the same response people might have experienced when they lived in caves and encountered a dangerous animal or unsafe food or water.
"It's a sophisticated way our brain operates, but it sometimes fails us," he said.
The slow way of thinking is scientific and analytic, using data and evidence, argument and reason. If ever society is going to deal with scourge of gun violence, people need to use the slow way of thinking, he said.
Those who react quickly in opposition to the idea that assault rifles should be restricted or regulated should move away from their immediate gut reaction and ask whether, as a society, people should tolerate young people, usually young men, some not old enough to buy beer, being able to go buy such weapons, Slovic said.
"Why should we tolerate that? There's no reason for this," he said.
Politically, people should think slowly and analytically, and when something egregious happens, support and pressure political representatives to enact legislation to address the problem. To be more effective, people can support organizations dedicated to gun safety.
"There is power in numbers," Slovic said. "These organizations need our money and energy to help them. We can amplify our efficacy by joining forces with others who are similarly concerned and dedicated to this problem."
