Abstract
We conducted an experimental evaluation of virtual training experiences (VTE) for law-enforcement training during an international policing conference (American Society of Evidence Based Policing). Among the volunteers (N = 77), 30% were female and 70% males with 49% employed in law enforcement and 51% in other occupations. Participants were outfitted with a controller gun, holster, and a virtual-reality headset. Each of four scenarios used involved a call for service reporting the presence of an unknown man acting strangely, with random assignment to one of four conditions: priming message (yes, no) and instrument held by suspect (gun, cellphone). Results show no significant effect of dispatch priming on participants’ responses but do show that law-enforcement officers made more accurate decisions than did non-law-enforcement participants. The feasibility and potential usefulness of VTE as a training tool is discussed along with recommendations for future policing studies involving VR.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 623-632 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | Police Practice and Research |
Volume | 23 |
Issue number | 5 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2022 |
Keywords
- Policing
- priming
- training
- virtual reality
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Social Sciences (miscellaneous)
- Law