Forensics

Question 1

What are the two approaches to offender profiling?

Answer 1

Top down (USA)
Bottom up (British)

Question 2

Top down crime scene classification

Answer 2

Organised - very little forensic evidence , tidied away
Disorganised - forsenic evidence, messy and weapon left near body

Question 3

One strength of top down approach is the benefit from experience of profiler, ELABORATE

Answer 3

Stats may show you likely offender but the exeptjons can be avoided if profiler experienced

Question 4

A weakness of top down is that it relies on subjective inference

Answer 4

Its based on opinions so cant be sure if its trustworthy . Different profilers will make different infernces therefore lacks inter rater reliabiltiy

Question 5

Copson (strength of top down)

Answer 5

Found it was useful approach . 184 US police were questioned
82% said it was good technique
90% said they would use it again

Question 6

Alison 2003 (limitation)

Answer 6

She showed officers.2 different profiles for same offender , one was very different. Despite this both profiles were rated as “accurate” more than 50% of time

Question 7

Who proposed the bottom up approach?

Answer 7

David canter

Question 8

Which approach is based on emperical data and how so?

Answer 8

Bottom up

Looks at patterns is stats data rather assumptions

Question 9

What is geographical profiling and what approach uses this method ?

Answer 9

Bottom up uses geographical profiling

The use of data to determine the likely home or base of offender eg circle theory

Question 10

What is investigative psychology and what approach uses it?

Answer 10

Bottom up

The use of stats to build a proifle of likely offender based on certain characterisits of crime and crime scene

Question 11

Difference between maraunder and commuter ?

Answer 11

Maraunder - lives near the places of the crime scene
Commuter- lives elsewhere away from the places he commits crime

Question 12

Give a limitation of the circle theory

Answer 12

It doesnt work for the commuter offenders as they live elsewhere and only travel to the area to commit the crime

Question 13

With bottom up approach a weakness is that there still may be stat anomilies

Answer 13

Some innocent people may match profile based on charactersitics as they can be broad

Question 14

Who proposes the historical approach

Answer 14

Lombroso

Question 15

What do we mean by somatotypes ?

Answer 15

Body types

Question 16

What are the 4 somatotypes and describe them

Answer 16

1. Athletic - tall and even muscular
2. Pyknic - fat and short
3. Leptosome - tall and thin (petty thieve)
4. Dyplastic - more than one type

Question 17

A strength of historical approach is that it has had significant contribution to forensic psych , the focus is on offender, explain

Answer 17

Its evidence based approach . Lobroso regarded as founder of criminollogy

Question 18

Presence of bias in historical approach (limitation)

Answer 18

Can cause sensetivity towards races and discrimination

Question 19

Give strength of bottom up (sample)

Answer 19

Large samples used so more applicable and can be generealised

Question 20

Outline atavistic form

Answer 20

Some physical feautures suggest innate criminal tendeacy
Criminals are “evolutionary throwbacks” they were primitive and had genes from less evolved times as result couldnt fit into civilaised society and turned to crime

Question 21

What two things does eyesnecks theory say about criminal personality?

Answer 21

1. Criminal personality scores highly on neruotisicm
2. Cannot be taught easily

Question 22

How can categorisijg iffenders be limitation

Answer 22

Overly simplified becusse they may fit into more than one , may be in between

Question 23

Evaluate the atavistic form theory

Answer 23

Not all criminals who have less evolved featuress will go onot become criminals and wont necceasarily have tendenacy either to become one

Not all criminals even have the less evolved features

Socially sensitive to those who have those features

Question 24

36 sexually motivated killers

Answer 24

Top down

Question 25

Obsrone and west

Answer 25

Sons if criminal likely to be criminaks in fututre

Question 26

Eyesneck theory scales

Answer 26

Neuroticisms - emotionallyy unstabke
Extroverson - under situmated NS, seek sensation exoerience , over responsive flight fight
Psychotisim - agreesive lacjing emptahy

Question 27

A03 of eyeneck

Answer 27

Takes into account biolgoy

Dunlock saYs good explanation

Van izendoorn huvenille thieves ddnt find manY with all 3 traits