Shoppers worry it will boost package theft, but psychology shows it could actually deter it
‘Porch pirate’ psychology
Package thieves, or “porch pirates,” often commit crimes of opportunity, hoping that small boxes might contain expensive items that could be resold, like phones, video game consoles, or computers, according to ADT Security Services. Meanwhile, some criminals simply have a compulsion and steal for the thrill of it.Psychological research shows that our brains release dopamine in anticipation of a reward, and the unpredictability of that reward actually increases anticipation and thereby the amount of dopamine released.
“Many people think that dopamine is released when the brain receives a reward, but dopamine is actually released in anticipation of a reward,” according to Psychology Today.
The likelihood of a porch pirate stealing a box that actually contains a valuable item is unpredictable, especially when the item is hidden in a cardboard box. But that unpredictability only makes the thief’s “reward”—both the dopamine released in the brain and the perceived value of the item itself—that much greater. If a thief can see that a shipped item isn’t worth much at the outset, perhaps they’ll be deterred from stealing it.
To be sure, people will continue to steal packages nonetheless, and it remains to be seen if Amazon’s change will increase or decrease theft. Either way, leaving an expensive product, like a brand new pair of Apple AirPods, sitting on a doorstep in the manufacturer’s packaging is probably never a good idea.
