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Claire Nee writes in the NYT that for psychologists it’s best to observe actual behavior. Yet for obvious ethical and safety reasons, it’s almost never possible to observe a crime as it happens. To establish “proof of concept,” researchers had to show that experienced ex-burglars would burgle a simulated house the same way they burgled a real house. So they had them actually burgle a house provided by a local police department in a quiet residential area. At the real house, participants wore head-mounted cameras and were asked to start at the front gate, enter the house and burgle it in their own time by touching the items they would take in a real burglary. Then the psychologists observed the ex-burglars commit a mock burglary in a simulated environment that could be navigated using a mouse or a game controller. Items (of value and otherwise) were placed in identical spots in the real house and in the simulated house, and in the latter could be “stolen” by clicking on them.
From previous interviews and experimental studies, burglars had alluded to what is called “dysfunctional expertise” in the way they approach the environment, select their targets and navigate around the property, and it was fascinating to see this unfold in real time. Can security measures help keep a house safe? Not really, according to Nee. "Good security is a deterrent but householders are notoriously bad at actually using the devices they install, so this is rarely a problem for the burglar," she says. "Most burglars will return to a vulnerable neighborhood or street later when they are ready to do the burglary. So they have a lot of competence at choosing properties to burgle and are rarely caught at the scene. Most burglaries are neither impulsive nor heavily planned."
Experienced burglars spent significantly more time in areas of the house with high-value items and navigated it much more systematically than the control subjects did. They also showed greater discernment, by stealing fewer but more valuable items. Most important, all participants burgled the real and the simulated houses almost identically (PDF). The researchers concluded that using simulations can be a robust way to study crime, and in studying it this way, we will not be limited to just burglary. "A better understanding of criminal behavior will help us reduce opportunities for crime in our neighborhoods," concludes Nee. "By knowing what the burglar is looking for — what signals wealth, occupancy, ease of access and security in properties — we can make adjustments in awareness and protection."
Original Submission
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 04 2015, @05:53AM
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 04 2015, @05:55AM
And why not? Don't we live in a panopticon yet? Isn't there surveillance everywhere? Wouldn't a reality show of real crime in progress have the highest ratings ever? Isn't every ordinary person a voyeur? Why? Not? Just? Do? It?!
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Thursday June 04 2015, @05:46PM
What kind of rating would the MPAA put on it the first time they show someone get shot by a cop or vice versa?
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 04 2015, @06:35PM
Doesn't the first reality show, "Cops", already show that?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 04 2015, @07:12AM
How does this establish anything, nevermind "proof of concept" (whatever the hell Pickens/Nee means by it)?
(Score: 2) by Ryuugami on Thursday June 04 2015, @10:04AM
So they had them actually burgle a house provided by a local police department in a quiet residential area. (...) Then the psychologists observed the ex-burglars commit a mock burglary in a simulated environment that could be navigated using a mouse or a game controller.
Aren't both of those "simulated environments"? One analog, one digital, neither real. I'm not sure this proves anything.
Experienced burglars spent significantly more time in areas of the house with high-value items and navigated it much more systematically than the control subjects did. They also showed greater discernment, by stealing fewer but more valuable items.
They should also try it with Skyrim players. They probably have more hands-on experience with the knapsack problem than any burglar :) Of course, they might be hindered by not having a "value" displayed in the HUD (for now, at least).
If a shit storm's on the horizon, it's good to know far enough ahead you can at least bring along an umbrella. - D.Weber
(Score: 3, Informative) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Thursday June 04 2015, @10:18AM
Corey Joe explains that the laws against burglary were meant to prevent violence not the theft of property. If you enter a structure with the intent to commit a crime while inside it, that's burglary. If you take something that's not yours, that's robbery and is a much less serious crime.
If you enter a structure with no malicious intent then decide to steal something inside, then that's just robbery. The key is whether you had criminal intent at the moment you entered the building.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 1) by cheshire on Thursday June 04 2015, @11:57AM
This description associates robbery with violence, which seems worse.
http://criminal.findlaw.com/criminal-charges/robbery-overview.html [findlaw.com]
"Unlike burglary, the crime of robbery almost always requires the presence of a victim who suffers actual injury, or is threatened with harm."
http://criminal.findlaw.com/criminal-charges/burglary-overview.html [findlaw.com]
"Unlike robbery, which involves use of force or fear to obtain another person's property, there is usually no victim present during a burglary."
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 04 2015, @05:59PM
If I recall correctly--IANAL, so it is possible I am misremembering this--part of the definition of burglary includes "removal of an impediment" to gain entry. So, if I understand correctly then, walking through an open door into somebody's home is trespassing; picking the lock to get inside is burglary.
(Score: 2) by cafebabe on Thursday June 04 2015, @10:28AM
Really? [soylentnews.org]
1702845791×2
(Score: 5, Insightful) by mtrycz on Thursday June 04 2015, @11:54AM
I didn't read TFA, but toroughly enjoyed TFS, well written, quite to the point, and with the just-about-right amount of details.
I really don't understand the hate HughPickens gets.
In capitalist America, ads view YOU!
(Score: 2) by morgauxo on Thursday June 04 2015, @01:10PM
Kind of reminds me of playing Zelda, being Link as he opens jars and treasure chests he finds in people's houses.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 04 2015, @05:19PM
Link collects a "Hero Tax" for saving the world.
(Score: 2) by slash2phar on Thursday June 04 2015, @01:18PM
Couldn't help thinking.. if this research shows that experienced burglars have a more refined approach to theft - even in simulations - then this opens up the possibly of monitoring the behavior of online gamers when in comparable scenarios... so they could be 'flagged' for deeper analysis against existing open burglary cases. Now, where's that tin polish..
(Score: 2) by darkfeline on Thursday June 04 2015, @07:34PM
I thought Steve Jobs already got a full autobiography? Or is this only limited to criminals who make petty change?
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