How environmental features and perceptions influence the perceived risks and rewards of criminal opportunities
Criminology, vol. 63, pp. 155–182
Abstract
Abstract A central tenet of the criminal decision‐making literature is that perceptions of the environment shape decisions. Yet the underlying mechanisms linking environmental features to perception remain mostly untested. Those that have been tested have relied on methods that are either correlational or have limited generalizability. We aimed to fill this gap by harnessing the power of virtual reality. Using burglary as a case study, incarcerated residential burglars with varying degrees of proficiency ( N = 160) explored a virtual neighborhood with houses that differed in features related to the risks and rewards of burglary. In support of our preregistered hypotheses, offenders adjust their perceptions in response to environmental features related to risks and rewards. Moreover, proficiency modifies these perceptions, with more proficient offenders believing they are less likely to get caught and seen and, as a result, more likely to break into a house. We support our statistical findings with rich data from qualitative interviews.
Authors 5
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University of Alabama · Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law
Affiliation as printed
Department of Criminology Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law Freiburg im Breisgau Germany
Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice University of Alabama Tuscaloosa Alabama USA
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Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law · Carnegie Mellon University
Affiliation as printed
Department of Criminology Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law Freiburg im Breisgau Germany
Heinz College Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh Pennsylvania USA
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Affiliation as printed
The Network Institute Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
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Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law
Affiliation as printed
Department of Criminology Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law Freiburg im Breisgau Germany
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Jean‐Louis van Gelder corresponding Aachen Institute of Education and Child Studies Leiden University Leiden The Netherlands
Leiden University · Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law
Affiliation as printed
Department of Criminology Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law Freiburg im Breisgau Germany
Institute of Education and Child Studies Leiden University Leiden The Netherlands
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