“For Your Safety” Effects of Camera Surveillance on Safety Impressions, Situation Construal and Attributed Intent

Based on the assumption that monitoring technology in environmental settings impacts people’s state of mind and subsequent perceptions, the current study examines the influence of security camera’s on safety perceptions and citizen wellbeing. Participants watched a video of city streets that featured (versus not featured) security cameras. In the camera condition, their safety ratings were significantly higher than in the camera-less (control) condition. In addition, the camera condition caused more positive (“safe”) interpretations of an ambiguous situation than the control condition. Finally, results suggest that attributed intent underlying camera usage is a key construct to reckon with when considering camera placement. In discussing these findings, the conditions under which camera surveillance contributes to citizen wellbeing are elaborated on.