<p>In this research project, I worked with a few colleagues to develop a virtual store platform that emulates a real-life shopping experience. The goal is to create an environment that is realistic enough for participants of the study to act naturally. The hypothesis being tested is that if a user is thrown into different environments (based on store layout, time of day, and apparentness of security), their behavior will vary. After developing 3D environments and launching them in a VR (Virtual Reality) platform, volunteers for the study will traverse the environments. During the study, user data will be collected through tools such as eye tracking equipment and heat maps. Through this data, my group can observe which products drew the most attention, what sort of shoplifting methods may have been implemented, and most importantly, how each volunteer’s behavior varies between different locations. The tests have not yet been conducted due to the pandemic and other complications. However, the data covering patterns and relationships found in this study could become a most important asset to companies and store developers. It will also help to further the understanding of human behavior and what might factor into it.</p>