Perceiving crime as alternative? A randomized scenario study (Gandaius meesterlijk, nr. 5)

In the past 200 years, many explanations have been given
for rule-breaking behavior. A classic idea, that was developed
during the Enlightenment, was that crime should
be understood as the outcome of a rational choice process.
While much criticism exists with regard to rational
choice theories, the fact remains that humans deliberate
when committing acts. This process of deliberation deserves
attention in etiological research, despite the fact
that some of the assumptions of rational choice theories
do not hold. This is exactly what this book is all about.
This book is the result of an innovative attempt to study
criminal decision-making using a less studied method
in criminological inquiries, namely randomized scenario
studies. A randomized scenario study combines the
principles of survey research with ideas that are central in
experimental design.

This book is an elaboration of a dissertation written by Benjamin
Van Damme, who personally developed an internet
application for randomized scenario studies that can be
used to test ideas developed in theories of crime causation.
This dissertation is part of a larger research initiative of Lieven
Pauwels, who supervised Benjamin Van Damme’s master
dissertation, namely a study on the empirical status of
situational action theory. Benjamin Van Damme and Lieven
Pauwels empirically demonstrate that criminal decisionmaking
can be seen as a perception-choice process, i.e. the
result of person-environment interactions. Environmental
characteristics trigger criminal decision-making, but only in
individuals that see crime as an alternative. The theoretical
and methodological consequences for criminological inquiries
are discussed.