Collective Efficacy and Norm Violation: An Experimental Test

SES-1625273 Ross Matsueda华盛顿大学这个项目研究了社会科学理论和刑事司法政策的一个重要问题：社区中的混乱是否会助长犯罪和越轨行为。 或者社区效能是混乱和犯罪的原因。 研究人员通过嵌入社区的实地实验来解决这个问题，这些社区因社会资本和社区效能而异。 这些问题的答案具有重要的知识回报和政策含义。 从智力上讲，该项目将为犯罪学中的破窗假说提供一个重要的检验，即混乱是犯罪和违反规范的原因，而集体效能假说则是混乱和犯罪都是由社区效能引起的，因此，混乱与犯罪的关系是虚假的。 该项目将产生比以前的研究更强的因果关系陈述，因为它使用实验方法。 该项目具有重要的政策影响。 如果混乱直接导致犯罪，那么就需要零容忍的警务，即警察集中精力清理街头的乞丐、破碎的窗户、涂鸦和其他混乱的迹象。 如果混乱和犯罪不是因果关系，而是由社区效能引起的，那么就需要社区赋权政策来增加社区资源、社会联系和公民参与。 研究人员正在将多元化和代表性不足的学生纳入研究过程，并与西雅图市合作传播他们的结果。为了检验破窗理论与集体效能的关系，研究人员将在多个社区进行实验，利用他们对集体效能和劣势的调查措施。 五个实验将研究是否存在障碍（涂鸦和垃圾在地上）影响规范违反行为。 (1)一个字母下降，其中24个邮票地址的信件下降到123个人口普查区。一半会掉在涂鸦的视线范围内。邮件退回率提供了一个衡量集体效能的标准，也是一个测试身体障碍（涂鸦）是否阻碍了亲社会活动的标准。(2)一个丢失的信封实验，其中一个信封与一个可见的5美元的钞票被放置在邮箱附近，路人可以忽略，邮寄或窃取信封。治疗条件，涂鸦和垃圾附近，测试是否紊乱促进盗窃和阻碍亲社会行为。(3)一个“垃圾凸轮”，其中一个时间推移相机将记录时间清理设置充满垃圾。检验的假设是，在集体有效的社区，清理的时间会更短。治疗条件“涂鸦在附近”测试是否额外的障碍阻碍集体效能的行为。(4)在乱扔垃圾的行为中进行干预，观察到一个同盟者（因种族和性别而异）在当地路人面前乱扔垃圾。结果是路人是否打断了同盟者。我们测试的假设，种族/性别的垃圾相互作用的种族/性别的干预者。(5)在汽车上乱扔传单，在停放的汽车的挡风玻璃上放置的传单要么乱扔，要么不乱扔。治疗，障碍（涂鸦），测试破窗假说。

SES- 1625273Ross MatsuedaUniversity of WashingtonThis project examines an important question for social science theory and criminal justice policy: Does disorder in a community foster criminal and deviant behavior. Or is community efficacy responsible for both disorder and crime. The researchers approach this question by embedding field experiments with neighborhoods that vary by social capital and community efficacy. The answers to these questions have important intellectual payoffs and policy implications. Intellectually, the project will provide an important test of the broken windows hypothesis in criminology disorder is a cause of crime and norm violations versus the collective efficacy hypothesis disorder and crime are each caused by community efficacy, and therefore, disorder is spuriously related to crime. The project will yield stronger causal statements than previous research because it uses experimental methods. The project has important policy implications. If disorder causes crime directly, then zero-tolerance policing in which police focus on cleaning up streets of panhandlers, broken windows, graffiti, and other signs of disorder is called for. If disorder and crime are not causally related but are instead each caused by community efficacy, then policies of community empowerment increasing community resources, social ties, and civic participation are called for. The researchers are incorporating diverse and underrepresented students in the research process and working with the city of Seattle to disseminate their results.To test broken windows theory against collective efficacy, the investigators will conduct experiments in multiple neighborhoods, capitalizing on their survey measures of collective efficacy and disadvantage. Five experiments will examine whether the presence of disorder (graffiti and litter on the ground)affects norm violating behavior. (1) A Letter Drop, in which 24 stamped addressed letters are dropped in each of 123 census tracts. Half will be dropped within sight of graffiti. The mail back rate provides a measure of collective efficacy, as well as a test of whether physical disorder (graffiti) impedes prosocial activity. (2) A Lost Envelope Experiment, in which an envelope with a visible $5 bill enclosed is placed near a mailbox, and passersby can either ignore, mail or steal the envelope. The treatment condition, graffiti and litter nearby, tests whether disorder promotes theft and impedes prosocial behavior. (3) A "Litter Cam," in which a time-elapse camera will record time-to-cleanup in a setting filled with litter. The hypothesis tested is that time to clean up will be shorter in collectively efficacious neighborhoods. The treatment condition "graffiti in the vicinity" tests whether additional disorder impedes acts of collective efficacy. (4) Intervening During an Act of Littering, in which a confederate (varied by race and gender) is observed littering in front of local passersby. The outcome is whether passersby interrupt the confederate. We test the hypothesis that the race/gender of the litterer interacts with the race/gender of the intervener. (5) Littering a Flyer on a Car, in which a flyer placed on windshields of parked cars is either littered or not. The treatment, disorder (graffiti), tests the broken windows hypothesis.