When a threat looms large in people’s minds, they may seek protectivemeasures that could mitigate the negative outcomes associated with this threat.Paradoxically, the possession of such protective measures may, in turn, inspirea sense of safety and reduce the perceived probability of the very threat thathad originally triggered their acquisition. Thus, reminding people that theypossess a medical insurance policy attenuated their perceived risk of sufferingfrom health related misfortunes (Tykocinski, 2008). The current studyconceptually replicates these findings and extends them to a different form ofinsurance. Reminding citizens in Israel of the fact that they possess gas maskssignificantly reduced their subjective estimates of the probability that Israelwill be attacked by Iran.
