Collective Efficacy and Norm Violation: An Experimental Test

华盛顿大学罗斯·马苏埃德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：社区的混乱是否会导致犯罪和越轨行为。或者社区效能对混乱和犯罪都负有责任。研究人员通过在社区中嵌入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智力回报和政策含义。在智力上，该项目将为犯罪学中的破窗假说提供一个重要的测试，失序是犯罪的原因，违反规范的行为相对于集体效能假说，失序和犯罪都是由社区效能引起的，因此，失序与犯罪存在虚假的关联。该项目将产生比之前的研究更有力的因果陈述，因为它使用了实验方法。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治安，警察专注于清理街道上的乞丐、破碎的窗户、涂鸦和其他混乱的迹象。如果混乱和犯罪没有因果关系，而是由社区效能引起的，那么就需要制定社区赋权政策，增加社区资源、社会关系和公民参与。研究人员正在将不同种族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。为了测试打破窗户理论与集体效能的对比，调查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。五个实验将检验混乱的存在(地面上的涂鸦和垃圾)是否会影响违反规范的行为。(1)投递信件，在123个人口普查区域中，每个地区投放24封贴着邮票的收信人的信件。一半的人将被丢弃在涂鸦的视线之内。回邮率提供了集体效能的衡量标准，也是对身体紊乱(涂鸦)是否阻碍亲社会活动的测试。(2)丢失信封实验，将一个装有5美元纸币的信封放在邮箱附近，路人可以不理睬、邮寄或偷走信封。治疗条件，附近的涂鸦和垃圾，测试了混乱是否会促进盗窃和阻碍亲社会行为。(3)“垃圾摄像头”，在垃圾堆满的环境中，一个时间流逝的相机会记录下清理的时间。经过检验的假设是，在集体有效的社区里，清理工作的时间会更短。治疗条件“附近的涂鸦”测试额外的无序是否阻碍集体效能的行为。(4)在乱扔垃圾的行为中进行干预，其中观察到邦联成员(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邦联。我们检验了这一假设，即窝窝者的种族/性别与干预者的种族/性别相互作用。(五)在汽车上乱扔传单的，在停放的汽车挡风玻璃上乱扔或者不乱扔传单的。混乱(涂鸦)的治疗验证了破窗假说。

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.