Study: lawbreakers make law-abiding citizens into criminals

William Atkins
Saturday, 03 January 2009 22:23

Science - Biology

They found that people passing by the mailbox were twice as likely to take money sticking out of the mailbox when graffiti or litter was present as when it was not present.

In another scenario, the researchers used a temporary fence to block off the main entrance to an automobile park. However, they left a gap in the fence.

They then posted two signs, one prohibiting bicyclists from locking their bikes to the fence and another sign that forbid people from using the main entrance (and the gap in the fence) but instead required them to walk 200 yards away to a temporary entrance.

The researchers found that when bikes are present but not locked to the fence, only 27% of the people walked through the gap in the fence. However, when the bikes were locked to the fence, 82% of the people walked through the gap.

In a third situation, the researchers placed signs outside a grocery store asking people to return their shopping carts to the store. They also placed flyers under the windshield wipers of all the cars in the parking lot.

When shopping carts were not present in the parking lot (but returned to the store), then 30% of the people threw away the flyers from their cars.

However, when shopping carts were left in the parking lot (and not returned to the store), then 58% of people littered the flyers.

Dr. Keizer stated, “Even little old ladies succumbed. I was amazed.” [New Scientist]

In the New Scientist article, Keizer concluded his team’s results by stating, “… broken windows, graffiti and litter spread social disorder.”

Additional information about the study is found on the Reason.com website “Is Crime Contagious?”