Examining context-specific perceptions of risk: exploring the utility of “human-in-the-loop” simulation models for criminology

• Published in: Journal of experimental criminology 2012-03, Vol.8 (1), p.29-47
• Main Authors: Park, Andrew, Clare, Joseph, Spicer, Valerie, Brantingham, Patricia L., Calvert, Tom, Jenion, Greg
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Criminology; Criminology and Criminal Justice; Decision making; Law and Criminology; Perceptions; Political Science; Simulation; Social Sciences; Victims of crime
• ISSN: 1573-3750; 1572-8315
• DOI: 10.1007/s11292-011-9132-x

Objectives To utilize a “human-in-the-loop” simulation methodology to examine the impact of high-risk environmental contexts on perceptions of victimization risk. Methods Fifty-nine participants navigated a virtual environment and encountered five two-alternative forced-choice decision points, with one alternative representing a high-risk environmental context in each case. Results Participants risk-aware decision-making was examined as a function of sex and age, both for their decisions overall and also at each specific decision point. Overall differences in total risk-aware decisions were observed for sex (with females more risk-aware) but not age. In addition to this, variation in perceived risk was also observed across the range of high-risk environmental contexts and there was also some indication of varying influence of age and sex on specific types of risk-aware decisions. Conclusions These results have interesting implications for research into context-specific perceptions of risk. These findings also support a stance that “human-in-the-loop” simulation modeling has good potential to contribute to criminology more broadly.