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Experimentally falsifying ghost criminology: Exercising rigor, exorcising residue

March 2026 Theory and Society

Ian T. Adams

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Abstract

Ghost criminology posits that places marked by crime retain residual effects. This study tested whether such "stains" exist physically or result from narratives. Researchers conducted a preregistered 2×2 field experiment at two architecturally similar university buildings—one with documented Civil War trauma and one without. Participants (N=319) received randomized narratives (truthful, false, or neutral) before completing scales measuring comfort, anxiety, attachment, moral gravity, and paranormal sensations. Results showed narratives reduced comfort modestly regardless of truthfulness, while the site's history had no effect. Findings suggest suggestion drives purported hauntings rather than environmental factors, indicating ghost criminology requires specified testable predictions to constitute empirical theory.

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APA

Ian T. Adams (2026). Experimentally falsifying ghost criminology: Exercising rigor, exorcising residue. Theory and Society. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11186-025-09676-6

BibTeX 
@article{adams2026,
  title   = {Experimentally falsifying ghost criminology: Exercising rigor, exorcising residue},
  author  = {Ian T. Adams},
  journal = {Theory and Society},
  year    = {2026},
  doi     = {10.1007/s11186-025-09676-6},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s11186-025-09676-6}
}

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