Australian psychologists from Edith Cowan University used virtual reality (VR) software to better understand the way criminals think and react. The study was published in the scientific journal magazine Scientific Reports (SciRep).
As part of a forensic psychology project, 101 participants played the role of shoplifting criminals in two similar virtual scenarios. After this, the imaginary attackers had to undergo a mock interrogation in the VR environment.
“In our study, we found that participants were able to experience the role of a criminal in virtual reality. The digital environment gave them a false motivation to commit a crime and also encouraged them to deceive investigators during VR interrogation,” said Dr. Shane Rogers, author of the scientific study.
According to the expert, VR technology can have many applications in the field of law enforcement. For example, police officers or investigators can recreate and act out scenarios of various crimes to better understand the circumstances of the incidents and how criminals behave in a real situation.
Previous scientists to create It’s a way to transfer surgeons’ skills from a VR simulator to a real operation.