Actions speak louder than words: pilot testing a virtual reality tool to understand burglar co-offender decision-making

A substantial number of offenders act in pairs or groups, which is especially true for residential burglars. Despite increasing attention on decision-making processes in burglary and the role that co-offenders play in the decision to offend, there has been little focus on how paired working impacts the actual undertaking of the offence. Uncovering decision-making processes in offending behaviour can be problematic, however the use of scenarios presented in virtual reality (VR) is proving to be a promising method for observing and recording offence-related behaviour. This study tests the capacity of a VR simulation to uncover communication and collaboration in student pairs as they navigate a burglary scenario. Student participant pairs (N = 67) performed a ‘virtual’ burglary. Vocalisations, actions and physiological measures were recorded, and individual questionnaires on subjective measures of participation administered. Participants reported high levels of presence, with higher presence being associated with higher experienced cooperation in the pair. Knowledge relating to burglary and relationships between the participants impacted experienced cooperation, with knowledge relating to burglary promoting an increased effect on experienced cooperation compared to relationship. The findings strengthen the application of VR as a tool for understanding cognitive processes associated with offending. The study provides an important stepping stone for future research with experienced offenders.