Learning on the job: Studying expertise in residential burglars using virtual environments*

Abstract

In this article, we describe a quasi‐experiment in which experienced incarcerated burglars (n = 56), other offenders (n = 50), and nonoffenders (n = 55) undertook a mock burglary within a virtual neighborhood. We draw from the cognitive psychology literature on expertise and apply it to offending behavior, demonstrating synergy with rational choice perspectives, yet extending them in several respects. Our principal goal was to carry out the first robust test of expertise in offenders by having these groups undertake a burglary in a fully fledged reenactment of a crime in a virtual environment. Our findings indicate that the virtual environment successfully reinstated the context of the crime showing clear differences in the decision making of burglars compared with other groups in ways commensurate with expertise in other behavioral domains. Specifically, burglars scoped the neighborhood more thoroughly, spent more time in the high‐value areas of the crime scene while traveling less distance there, and targeted different goods from the comparison groups. The level of detail in the data generated sheds new light on the cognitive processes and actions of burglars and how they “learn on the job.” Implications for criminal decision‐making perspectives and psychological theories of expertise are discussed.

Mere presence of informal guardians deters burglars: a virtual reality study

“…burglar) expertise. Similar to the findings reported by Nee et al (2019), burglars appeared to be able to process burglaryrelated cues significantly more efficiently than non-burglars as evidenced in a shorter time spent in the neighbourhood. Burglars did however travel less distance compared with non-burglars, contrary to findings by Nee et al (2019).…”

“…Similar to the findings reported by Nee et al (2019), burglars appeared to be able to process burglaryrelated cues significantly more efficiently than non-burglars as evidenced in a shorter time spent in the neighbourhood. Burglars did however travel less distance compared with non-burglars, contrary to findings by Nee et al (2019). This discrepancy between the present findings and those reported by Nee et al (2019) is likely due to the more extensive environment that was used in the present study, and indicates expertise as burglars appear to make their decisions more quickly.…”

“…university students) to both an actual house and a virtual replica of the same house on a laptop computer, finding that the behaviour of burglars differed from that of nonburglars, but did not differ significantly between the virtual house and the actual house. In another recent study, Nee et al (2019) compared the behaviour of experienced incarcerated burglars with that of other offenders and non-offenders in a simulated environment. This study showed the superior expertise of burglars compared with the other groups which manifested in differences in their decision-making.…”

“…Burglary experience To assess burglary experience among the burglar sample, burglars were asked to estimate the number of burglaries they had committed in their lifetime (M = 62.46, SD = 281.61), a question commonly included when burglary experience is assessed (Nee et al 2019). Nine of the incarcerated participants were excluded for not having burglary experience.…”

“…However, addressing this perspective is important, as burglars have been shown to differ significantly from non-burglars in key aspects of the burglary process (e.g. Nee and Meenaghan 2006;Nee et al , 2019.…”