According to new research by a psychologist at the University of Houston, those helpful and popular neighborhood apps are increasing perceptions of crime rates that may not be as high as you think.
The research appeared in the journal Psychology of Popular Media.
The study involved a survey of 400 people living in 43 different states across the United States about their use of neighborhood apps and their perceptions of crime.
“As predicted, participants who reported using neighborhood apps perceived local crime rates as higher than those who do not use the apps, independent of actual crime rates,” according to the study.
“These results have important implications for theory and application.”
