Space transition theory and its empirical applications in cybercrime research: a PRISMA-guided systematic review (2007 to 2025)

Abstract

This study presents the first PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses)-guided review of empirical applications of Space Transition Theory (STT) in peer-reviewed research (2007 to 2025). Nineteen studies were identified across qualitative (n = 10), quantitative (n = 7), and mixed-method (n = 2) designs. Study contexts span multiple regions, with strong representation from West Africa and Southeast Asia. The findings support STT’s relevance to Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), showing how platform affordances such as anonymity, identity flexibility, and asynchronous communication can enable disinhibition, norm transgression, and moral disengagement. At the same time, the evidence indicates uneven explanatory reach, as STT under-specifies cultural meaning-making, structural inequality, and platform-specific architectures. Even so, STT remains a useful mid-range scaffold for analysing behavioural discontinuities across offline and online space. The review further shows how STT can inform HCI debates on anticipatory design, behavioural accountability, and the ethical governance of digital platforms.