Virtual reality for law enforcement training: a demonstration and implication for dispatch priming

Jason Potts, Angela Hawken, Maureen Hillhouse, David Farabee

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

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 languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)623-632
Number of pages10
JournalPolice Practice and Research
Volume23
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - 2022

Keywords

  • Policing
  • priming
  • training
  • virtual reality

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Social Sciences (miscellaneous)
  • Law

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