The effect of checklists on evidence collection during initial investigations: a randomized controlled trial in virtual reality

IF 1.8 2区社会学 Q2 CRIMINOLOGY & PENOLOGY

Journal of Experimental Criminology Pub Date : 2023-12-15 DOI:10.1007/s11292-023-09599-1

{"title":"The effect of checklists on evidence collection during initial investigations: a randomized controlled trial in virtual reality","authors":"","doi":"10.1007/s11292-023-09599-1","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<h3>Abstract</h3> <span> <h3>Objective</h3> <p>To examine the impact of an investigative checklist on evidence collection by police officers responding to a routine burglary investigation.</p> </span> <span> <h3>Methods</h3> <p>A randomized control trial was conducted in virtual reality to test the effectiveness of an investigative checklist. Officers in the randomly assigned treatment group (n = 25) were provided with a checklist during the simulated investigation. Officers in the control group (n = 26) did not have access to the checklist at any time. The checklist included five evidence items commonly associated with burglary investigations.</p> </span> <span> <h3>Results</h3> <p>Officers who were randomly provided with an investigative checklist were significantly more likely to collect two evidence items located <em>outside</em> of the virtual victim’s home. Both treatment and control officers were about equally as likely to collect three evidence items located <em>inside</em> the residence.</p> </span> <span> <h3>Conclusions</h3> <p>Investigative checklists represent a promising new tool officers can use to improve evidence collection during routine investigations. More research is needed, however, to determine whether checklists improve evidence collection or case clearances in real-life settings. Virtual reality simulations provide a promising tool for collecting data in otherwise difficult or complex situations to simulate.</p> </span>","PeriodicalId":47684,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Experimental Criminology","volume":"85 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8000,"publicationDate":"2023-12-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Experimental Criminology","FirstCategoryId":"90","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11292-023-09599-1","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"CRIMINOLOGY & PENOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

Objective

To examine the impact of an investigative checklist on evidence collection by police officers responding to a routine burglary investigation.

Methods

A randomized control trial was conducted in virtual reality to test the effectiveness of an investigative checklist. Officers in the randomly assigned treatment group (n = 25) were provided with a checklist during the simulated investigation. Officers in the control group (n = 26) did not have access to the checklist at any time. The checklist included five evidence items commonly associated with burglary investigations.

Results

Officers who were randomly provided with an investigative checklist were significantly more likely to collect two evidence items located outside of the virtual victim’s home. Both treatment and control officers were about equally as likely to collect three evidence items located inside the residence.

Conclusions

Investigative checklists represent a promising new tool officers can use to improve evidence collection during routine investigations. More research is needed, however, to determine whether checklists improve evidence collection or case clearances in real-life settings. Virtual reality simulations provide a promising tool for collecting data in otherwise difficult or complex situations to simulate.

查看原文本刊更多论文

核对表对初步调查期间证据收集的影响：虚拟现实中的随机对照试验

【摘要】目的探讨侦查清单对警察在一起入室盗窃案件中取证的影响。方法在虚拟现实中进行随机对照试验，检验调查清单的有效性。在模拟调查期间，随机分配的治疗组(n = 25)的警官提供了一份清单。对照组(n = 26)的警官在任何时候都没有接触到检查表。这份清单包括五项通常与入室盗窃调查有关的证据。结果随机提供一份调查清单的警官更有可能在虚拟受害者家外收集到两件证据。治疗人员和控制人员在住所内收集三件证据的可能性大致相同。结论调查核对表是一种很有前途的新工具，警官可以在日常调查中使用它来改善证据收集。然而，需要更多的研究来确定清单是否能改善现实生活中的证据收集或案件清除。虚拟现实模拟为在其他困难或复杂的情况下收集数据提供了一种有前途的工具。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

Journal of Experimental Criminology CRIMINOLOGY & PENOLOGY-

CiteScore

6.20

自引率

6.70%

发文量

期刊介绍： The Journal of Experimental Criminology focuses on high quality experimental and quasi-experimental research in the advancement of criminological theory and/or the development of evidence based crime and justice policy. The journal is also committed to the advancement of the science of systematic reviews and experimental methods in criminology and criminal justice. The journal seeks empirical papers on experimental and quasi-experimental studies, systematic reviews on substantive criminological and criminal justice issues, and methodological papers on experimentation and systematic review. The journal encourages submissions from scholars in the broad array of scientific disciplines that are concerned with criminology as well as crime and justice problems.