Forensic Psychology

Question 1

What is offender profiling

Answer 1

the police build up a picture and characteristics of what the offender looks like

Question 2

Bottom up approach

Answer 2

Uses stats and empirical research

1) Investigate Psych
- Interpersonal coherence: People are often consistent so should look for links in which how they commit their crimes and how they live.If crimes are aggressive more likely to be an aggressive person and done it before
- Forensic awareness: Extent to which the offender was aware of forensic science
- Smallest space analysis:stats technique to identify key themes and categories in crime
2) Geographical profiling
- Circle theory:Canter+Larkin found they tend to commit their crimes in a certain radium
- Criminal geographic targeting:advanced version of circle theory takes into account more factors then just where the crime was committed

Question 3

Top down approach

Answer 3

Relies on instinct of detective and uses broad categories for the offender

1. Data assimilation: detective reviews evidence
2. Crime scene classification: organised/disorganised
3. Crime reconstruction: puts together order of events
4. Profile generation: characteristics of the offender

Question 4

Top down evaluation

Answer 4

+ Evidence:Copson found that 82% of 184 police officers said it was useful
- Based on flawed evidence:inteviewing criminals is unscientific as they lie

Question 5

Bottom up evaluation

Answer 5

+ more scientific- based on stats

• copson found that only 3% of 48 police officers found it useful to identify the offender
• geographical profiling is flawed and can’t determine if there is multiple offenders

Question 6

Eyesenck personality theory

Answer 6

Introversion-Extraversion.Extraversion more likely caused by an under stimulated nervous system
Neurotic-Stable.Neurotic are emotionally unstable
Psychotism-norm.Psychotism caused by excessive amounts of testosterone

Question 7

Evaluation of Eyeseneck

Answer 7

• Gender alpha bias.Men have higher testosterone level.Presumes they are criminals
  +Dunlop et al found correlation between extraversion and pyschotism and lie scales were good predictors of delinquency->Correlation doesn’t mean causation