Stand-Alone VR versus VR with Reflective Group Dialogue (Internship or Master’s Thesis)

Ethnic profiling remains a pressing issue in policing, undermining trust between communities and law enforcement. Research shows that police officers can be reluctant to engage with this topic, partly due to organizational culture and psychological barriers.

Bas Böing’s PhD research at the University of Twente demonstrates that VR combined with reflective group discussions can increase engagement (Böing, 2025). Specifically, his studies show that the combination can foster reflection and knowledge among police officers. These discussions appear to be a key driver of learning and attitude change.

This raises a practical question: can VR alone, without subsequent group dialogue, achieve similar effects? For example, can structured feedback administered directly within a VR feedback loop provide sufficient reflection? PhD research by Linda Louis provides promising indications that feedback within a VR environment can also support learning and attitude change (Louis, 2024). However, its effectiveness in producing comparable learning outcomes has not yet been established.

This study investigates whether all learning and reflection can take place within VR itself, without requiring a separate reflective session, and under which conditions this approach is most effective. Results will inform training decisions in policing and other professional contexts. If stand-alone VR proves effective, it offers a scalable and cost-efficient training alternative. More broadly, the project contributes to evidence-based understanding of how immersive technologies can support professional learning without additional group interventions.

This project is situated within a broader debate on the use of technology to support professional judgment and reflection in policing (Brayne, 2020; Manning, 2008).

This project compares two training formats:

·       VR with reflective group dialogue (e.g., constructive controversy)

·       Stand-alone VR with extensive feedback

The central goal is to determine whether stand-alone VR can achieve comparable outcomes to VR with post-intervention group discussion, and under which conditions it is effective.

Students will play an active and substantive role in the research. You will:

·       contribute to the research design, including defining outcomes and comparison conditions;

·       help develop and refine measurement instruments;

·       conduct empirical data collection, such as: running VR sessions (only those without reflective dialogue);

·       assist with data analysis and interpretation.

The study will use a comparative (quasi)experimental design to evaluate learning outcomes. The VR material is already developed by the Dutch Police, but a specific protocol must still be developed collaboratively with the student.

The expected contribution depends on whether the position is taken as an internship or a master’s thesis.

• Internship: The internship is hosted by the Dutch National Police (not the University of Twente). Interns are expected to assist primarily with data collection and analysis, with the main objective of gaining relevant research and professional experience.
• Master’s Thesis: Master’s students are expected to take on a more independent role, including greater responsibility for research design, analysis, and reporting.

A maximum of two students may apply.

Böing, B. (2025). Discussing the elephant in the room : Addressing Ethnic Profiling with Virtual Reality in Police Training [University of Twente]. https://doi.org/10.3990/1.9789036569361

Brayne, S. (2020). Predict and surveil: Data, discretion, and the future of policing. In Predict and Surveil: Data, Discretion, and the Future of Policing. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190684099.001.0001

Louis, L. B. (2024). Towards Better Policing: Achieving Norm Internalization and Compliance with Persuasively Designed Technology. Meijers-reeks.

Manning, P. (2008). The technology of policing: Crime mapping, information technology, and the rationality of crime control. In The Technology of Policing: Crime Mapping, Information Technology, and the Rationality of Crime Control. https://doi.org/10.1177/009430610903800224