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The Urban Security Image Database (USID): development and validation of an image dataset for experimental studies on fear of crime

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Abstract

Objectives

Researchers have been studying the most important environmental cues that influence people’s fear and how to measure these emotions and perceptions in a more valid way. In order to contribute to experimental studies, we develop and validate the Urban Security Image Database (USID).

Method

The construction and validation of the USID followed two stages: (a) the obtainment by researchers of more than 300 naturalistic pictures in different urban contexts of the city of Porto and (b) using a within-subject design, a large sample (N = 1780) classified 49 selected pictures for fear of crime, risk perception of victimization, arousal, and valence levels.

Results

The validated Urban Security Image Database (USID) contains 49 pictures that are grouped in three categories according to fear mean levels: low fear, neutral fear, and high fear. Pictures of the low fear group depict residential areas, with high prospect spaces and well-cared vegetation. Pictures in the high fear group represent scenarios in night-time, with signs of incivilities and low prospect spaces. Fear of crime was negatively correlated with valence and positively with arousal.

Conclusions

USID is an important step to laboratorial experiments in the field of fear of crime and its relationship with environmental features. Moreover, since fear of crime is correlated with valence and arousal, it provides strength to the importance of considering fear a context-specific experience.

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Notes

  1. Due to an error detected when the survey was ready to be launched (one of the pictures previously selected was repeated), 24 instead of 25 pictures were evaluated by the external sample.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Mariana Machado for the valuable insights during the revision process.

Funding

The first author was funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology through a doctoral grant, financed by national funds of the Portuguese Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education and the European Social Fund through the Human Capital Operational Programme.

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Author notes

  1. Inês Guedes

    Present address: School of Criminology, Faculty of Law, University of Porto, Rua dos Bragas 223, 4050-123, Porto, Portugal

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Criminology, Faculty of Law, University of Porto, Rua dos Bragas 223, 4050-123, Porto, Portugal

    Samuel Moreira & Carla Sofia Cardoso

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  1. Inês Guedes
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  2. Samuel Moreira
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  3. Carla Sofia Cardoso
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Correspondence to Inês Guedes.

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Guedes, I., Moreira, S. & Cardoso, C.S. The Urban Security Image Database (USID): development and validation of an image dataset for experimental studies on fear of crime. J Exp Criminol 19, 465–485 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11292-021-09490-x

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