The Virtual Reality Image of an Urban Park and Negative Scenario Instructions of Neighborhood Context Affecting Fear of Crime: A Pilot Study using Psychological, Physiological, and Eye-tracking Indicators
Description
This study explores how urban park environments impact psychological responses, especially focusing on fear of crime. We investigated how visual stimuli from a VR image of a Tokyo park and crime-related scenario instructions—emphasizing either personal or social attributes—affect fear of crime in 56 participants, using psychological, physiological, and eye-tracking measures. We hypothesized that fear would increase with negative crime information (personal attributes) or details about the neighborhood and pedestrian traffic (social attributes) added to the park’s visual information (physical attributes). We also expected that increased subjective fear from negative scenarios would correlate with heightened physiological responses and that psychological measures of fear would relate to specific visual elements observed through eye-tracking. Conducted from October 2023 to February 2024 at Chuo University’s Urban Ecology Laboratory, the study involved students aged 18 to 24. Participants were divided into four groups, each exposed to different scenario texts while viewing the same VR image of Hikarigaoka Park. Participants provided consent, completed screening questionnaires, and had electrodes attached for physiological measurements. In the first session, they viewed the VR image without scenario instructions and completed a psychometric questionnaire. In the second session, they received specific scenario texts, viewed the VR image again, and completed another questionnaire. The VR image, captured with a 360° camera, was chosen for its large area, dense vegetation, and relatively high crime rate. Scenario texts described negative or neutral aspects of crime occurrences and social attributes related to the park’s environment. Psychological measures included the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). Physiological responses such as heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV), and skin conductance level (SCL) were recorded, and eye-tracking data analyzed focus on different areas of the VR image. Results showed that both personal and detailed social attributes significantly influenced psychological responses. Social attributes, like surrounding land use and pedestrian traffic, were strongly linked to negative emotions and eye-tracking indicators. The presence of overgrown shrubs and dense vegetation also increased fear of crime. These findings highlight the need to consider both spatial and non-spatial factors in urban park design to reduce fear of crime. This study enhances understanding of how various park attributes evoke fear and offers insights for developing environmental design and management guidelines. Future research should explore more physiological indicators to better understand how different factors affect fear of crime in urban settings.