Nudging the Shoplifters presentation, Dhruv Sharma, HighWire

7/28/2019 Nudging the Shoplifters presentation, Dhruv Sharma, HighWire

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Nudging the Shoplifters!Using behavioral techniques to deter shoplifting!

DHRUVSharma!19th March 2013


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Crime! Blackburn defines crimes asacts attracting legalpunishment offences againstthe community. ! Legally (in UK): Not justviolation of law but!

actus reus(guilty act), an actvoluntarily carried out,! mens rea(guilty mind), anintention to commit the act. !

Blackburn,Ronald.Thepsychologyofcriminalconduct:Theory,researchandprac7ce.JohnWiley&Sons,1993. Putwain,David,andAidanSammons.Psychologyandcrime.Routledge,2002.


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Why?! Durkheims Anomie!

The breakdown of social bondsbetween an individual and theircommunity.!

Mertons Strain Theory.! Conformists! Ritualists! Innovators! Retreatists! Rebels!

Durkheim,Emile,JohnA.Spaulding,andGeorgeSimpson.Suicide.FreePress,199. Merton,RobertKing.Socialtheoryandsocialstructure.SimonandSchuster,1968.


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Crime is complex!! Cantor says there is then nocriminal type but different types ofcriminals.! Incarceration is not the solution.! Shoplifting is an ordinarycrime (Arboleda-Florez, Durie, &Costello).!

Gonnerman,Jennifer."Million-DollarBlocks:TheneighborhoodcostsofAmericasprisonboom."TheVillageVoice(2004). Cantor,NathanielF."Crimeandsociety." AnIntroduc7ontoCriminology939(1939). Arboleda-Florez,Julio,HelenDurie,andJohnCostello."ShopliOing:Anordinarycrime?."Interna7onalJournalofOffenderTherapyandCompara7veCriminology(19).


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Shoplifting! Francis defines it as "theft fromthe selling floor while a store isopen for business. ! Why?!

Economic! Psychosocial!

Walsh says humans can dothings for countless differentreasons.!

Francis,DorothyBrenner.ShopliOing:Thecrimeeverybodypaysfor.Elsevier/NelsonBooks,1980. Levinson,David,ed.Encyclopediaofcrimeandpunishment.Vol.1.SagePublica7ons,Incorporated,2002. Walsh,DenisPatrick.ShopliOing:Controllingamajorcrime.London:Macmillan,1978.


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History of Shoplifting! Retail loss is as old as retail.!

Medieval fairs.! First recorded in 1597.! Death penalty | Deportation!

Woolworths innovationpropelled shoplifting.! Estimated Christmas lossescost (2012) - 999.7 million.!

38.09 per household (6 weeks) !

Hayes,Read."RetailsecurityandlossprevenZon."No.:ISBN0-506-9038-0(1991):26. Walsh,DenisPatrick.ShopliXing:Controllingamajorcrime.London:Macmillan,198. Usherwood,Barbara."``MrsHousewifeandhergrocer':theadventofself-servicefoodshoppinginBritain''."AlltheWorldandHerHusbandEdsMAndrews,MTalbot(Cassell,London)pp(2000):113-130.

Bamfield,JAN,ShopliXingforChristmas2012:HowCriminalsProfitFromtheFes7veSeason,(Nongham:CentreforRetailResearch)2012


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Design Against Crime! Crime Prevention ThroughEnvironmental Design (CPTED).! Situated Crime Prevention(SCP).!

Increase risk and difficulties.! Reduce rewards.! Rational choice perspectives.!

Gill et al re-enactment andwalkthrough.!

Gamman,Lorraine,etal."HeyBabeTakeaWalkontheWildSide!:WhyRole-playingandVisualizaZonofUserandAbuserScriptsfferUsefulToolstoEffecZvelyThinkThiefandBuildEmpathytoDesignAgainstCrime."DesignandCulture4.2(2012):11-193.

Clarke,RonaldV."SituaZonalcrimeprevenZon."Crime&Just.19(1995):91. Jeffery,C.Ray,andDianeL.ahm."CrimeprevenZonthroughenvironmentaldesign,opportunitytheory,andraZonalchoicemodels."Rou7neac7vityandra7onalchoice5(1993):323-350.


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Criminology! Theory of Reasoned Action(TRA). !!

Predicts behavioral intentions.!

Theory of Planned Behavior(TPB)!

Perceived behavioral control.! Marco Yzer: dual aspect ofperceived behavior.!

Ajzen,Icek."Thetheoryofplannedbehavior."Organiza7onalbehaviorandhumandecisionprocesses50.2(1991):19-211. Yzer,Marco."PerceivedBehavioralControlinReasonedAcZonTheoryADual-AspectInterpretaZon."TheANNALSoftheAmericanAcademyofPoli7calandSocialScience640.1(2012):101-11.


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The Moment!!Durkheims Anomie!

Mertons Strain Theory!

CPTED & SCP !TRA & TPB!

Ra#onality


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Behavioral Methods! Glassock et al mention 2 types:!

Shoplifter as client! Retailer as client!

Measuring and evaluatingchange in behavior is challenging.! Direct observation +Quantitative impact.!

Glasscock,StephenG.,MichaelA.Rapoff,andEdwardR.Christophersen."BehavioralmethodstoreduceshopliOing."JournalofBusinessandpsychology2.3(1988):22-28.


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Manipulating Behavior! Markin et al The retail storeis a bundle of cues, messagesand suggestions it does createmood, activate intentions andgenerally affect customerreactions.! Antithesis to rational responses.! Nudge Theory?!

Non-rational / unconsciousdecision making.! Manipulation possible.!

Markin,RomJ.,CharlesM.Lillis,andChemL.Narayana."Socialpsychologicalsignificanceofstorespace."JournalofRetailing52.1(196):43-54. Bonell,Chris,etal."Nudgesmudge:UKGovernmentmisrepresentsnudge."TheLancet3.984(2011):2158-2159. Thaler,RichardH.,andCassR.Sunstein.Nudge:Improvingdecisionsabouthealth,wealth,andhappiness.YaleUniversityPress,2008. Walker,Stuart.Thespiritofdesign:objects,environmentandmeaning.No.1st.Earthscanpublica7ons,2011.


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Further Research! How do shoplifters make their decisions to steal?!

Rationally?! Emotionally?!

Can Nudge Theory be used to reduce shoplifting by manipulating theirbehavior?!

o introducing a victim in a victimless crime?! How do shoplifters react to information cues?! How can we increase the rigor in such behavioral studies?!


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Thank You!!DHRUVSharmat:dhruvsharma101!

Nudging the Shoplifters presentation, Dhruv Sharma, HighWire

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