The role of perceived effectiveness in home security choices

Some research has examined the factors that influence whether individuals take precautions against crime, while other work has explored residents' perceptions about what effectively protects homes from burglary. However, prior studies have not assessed whether the perceived effectiveness of a protective measure affects the likelihood of its use. The present study explored that question using data from a mail survey; other independent variables included fear, perceived risk, prior victimization, and demographic factors. The analyses indicated that perceived effectiveness was the most frequently significant predictor, while other variables were generally insignificant.