The Relevance of Implicit Attitudes in Criminology: A Comparison of Explicit and Implicit Attitudes Toward CCTV in Germany and the United Kingdom

Abstract

The surveillance of public spaces through CCTV for crime prevention has gained importance worldwide; however, findings regarding its preventive effect remain inconsistent. Methodological concerns relate to the validity of statistical comparisons and the limitations of traditional survey methods, particularly in connection with fear of crime. This exploratory study investigates explicit and implicit attitudes toward CCTV based on non-representative samples from Germany and the United Kingdom. While explicit attitudes were measured using questionnaires, a Single-Category Implicit Association Test (SC-IAT) was employed to capture implicit attitudes. The results reveal significant differences between the two measurement methods as well as within the country-specific samples. While the differences in the United Kingdom tend to cluster around neutral mean values, the German sample shows clearly positive explicit attitudes toward CCTV, contrasted by more negative tendencies in the implicit measurements. This discrepancy highlights the importance of distinguishing between conscious and unconscious perceptions. The findings offer valuable impulses for the development of culturally sensitive and differentiated security policies and provide a basis for further research.