The role of physical environment in the 'broken windows' theory

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-11/uoc-tro111716.php

Public Release: 17-Nov-2016
The role of physical environment in the 'broken windows' theory
UChicago study examines how visual cues can encourage rule-breaking
University of Chicago

For decades, the influential "broken windows" theory has linked signs of petty crime to bigger problems in a neighborhood. Largely left out of such discussions, however, is the role simple perceptual features in physical environments play in encouraging rule-breaking.

In a new study, researchers at the University of Chicago explored whether mostly subconscious visual cues embedded in dilapidated buildings, overgrown lots and littered streets can fuel deviant behavior. The study, to be published in the December issue of the Journal of Experimental Psychology, finds that exposure to simple perceptual features that make an environment look disorderly affect people in ways that can make rule-breaking more likely.

"There is an ever-present physical environment that people are never separated from, and our research suggests it's having an influence in marked and important ways on human behavior and possibly the functioning of a neighborhood," said lead author Hiroki Kotabe, a postdoctoral scholar at UChicago's Environmental Neuroscience Laboratory, which studies how the physical environment affects the brain and behavior. "Our work in many ways is bringing attention to the importance of physical elements, particularly the visual features."

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Traditionally, broken windows theory has revolved around how social cues such as graffiti, litter and vagrancy can snowball into more serious and widespread crime. It posits that when people see rule-breaking in the environment they reason that misconduct is acceptable, making them more likely to break rules themselves. The theory has been particularly influential on policing in the United States, ushering in a series of controversial policies around crime prevention.

"The prevailing wisdom is that one must see social cues of rule-breaking in order for rule-breaking behavior to spread, but many of these social cues have visually disordered components. Imagine graffiti or a broken window both of which tend to have messy and often disorganized lines," Berman said. "Our research calls into question the necessity of having a social cue of disorder to promote rule-breaking, rather one might only need to perceive disorderly lines to cause disorderly behavior."

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After the test, but before grading their work, the participants were exposed to either the visually disordered stimuli or visually ordered stimuli. The researchers found for participants exposed to the visually disordered stimuli compared to those exposed to the visually ordered stimuli the likelihood of cheating increased by 35 percent and the average magnitude of cheating increased by 87 percent.

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