NCJ Number
240466
Journal
Journal of Experimental Criminology Volume: 8 Issue: 1 Dated: March 2012 Pages: 29-47
Date Published
March 2012
Length
19 pages
Annotation
To utilize a "human-in-the-loop" simulation methodology to examine the impact of high-risk environmental contexts on perceptions of victimization risk.
Abstract
To utilize a "human-in-the-loop" simulation methodology to examine the impact of high-risk environmental contexts on perceptions of victimization risk. Fifty-nine participants navigated a virtual environment and encountered 5 two-alternative forced-choice decision points, with one alternative representing a high-risk environmental context in each case. Participants risk-aware decisionmaking 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. 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. Abstract published by arrangement with Springer.