P3: Forensic Psychology Flashcards
(151 cards)
What is offender profiling/criminal profiling
Behavioural and analytical tool aimed to predict and profile characteristics of criminals
What is the Top-down approach/topology approach
(American) Working down to matching evidence to a pre-existing template. Classifies murderers or rapists into 2 categories (Organised or disorganised)
What idea is organised and disorganised distinction is based on
Having a signature ‘way of working’(Modus operandi) that correlates to a particular set of psychological and social characteristics
What are characteristics of an organised offender
Evidence of planning, High levels of control, Above-average IQ, usually married(sexually competent), have a ‘type’ they target
What are characteristics of a disorganised offender
Little evidence of planning, little control, below-average IQ unemployed,history of failed relationships, Shows signs of a spontaneous act
What are the four main stages in constructing an FBI profile
- Data assimilation(profilers reviews the evidence)
- Crime scene classification(organised or disorganised)
- Crime reconstruction(hypothesis of sequence of events…)
- Profile generation(hypothesis related to the likely offender)
A03: Top-down application
Limitation: common offences do not lend themselves well, best suited for big crimes scenes that reveal important details about the suspect.
A03: Top-down modelling based on
Limitation: based on outdated models of personality, assumes offenders have a consistent motivation and behaviour. No external factors considered(e.g.situation) ∴ poor validity when trying to predict offenders next move
A03: Top-down evidence of categories
Limitation: Little support for ‘disorganised offender’ from data analysed using ‘small space technique’.Findings found evidence of organised but not disorganised offenders ∴ undermines the whole system.
A03: Top-down complexity/simplicity
Limitation: Too simplistic, suggested we focus on motivation of killers not type because behaviours of organised and disorganised are not mutually exclusive therefore has prompted researchers to propose more detailed topological models
A03: Top-down original sample
Limitation: original sample only interviewed 36 killers, therefore is unrepresentative. Also it is not appropriate to rely on self-report data with convicted killers when constructing a classification system
What is the bottom-up approach
(British)Working up from evidence collected at the crime scene and then developing a hypothesis about their motivations, characteristics(Data driven)
What is investigative psychology
A type of bottom-up profiling that matches details of crime scenes to a statistical database in order to apply psychological theories, which allow you to predict the next offence
State and explain the central concept of investigative psychology
Interpersonal coherence- The idea that the way an offender behaves at the crime scene may reflect behaviour in everyday situations
What is forensic awareness
Individuals who have been subjected to police interrogation in the past which makes them mindful about ‘covering their tracks’
What is geological profiling
A type of bottom-up profiling based on the principle of spatial consistency, that an offenders base of operations can be revealed by the location of their previous crimes
What is crime mapping
Information from the location of linked crime scenes which allows informed decisions about their base of operation and modus operandi
Define jeopardy surface
An educated guess on where the offender will strike next
What is the difference between a Marauder and commuter
Marauder- Operates in close proximity to their home base
commuter- Travelled a distance away from their usual residence
What is circle theory and how does it help
A circle created around their usual residence from a series of offending.Their ‘spatial decision making’ can provide insight into the nature of the offence
A03: bottom-up evidence
Strength: Using small space analysis on 66 sexual assault cases, a correlation was found across patterns of behaviour which were deemed common. Can lead to an understanding of how behaviour may changes with offences, showing how statistical techniques can be applied
A03: bottom-up geographical profiling
Strength: Information collected from 120 (serial)murder cases showed the location of body disposal were in difference sites, but created a centre of gravity around their base.(Done using small space analysis), therefore spatial info can be a key factor in locating the base of an offender
A03: bottom-up The basis(foundation)
Strength: Has a scientific basis, is more objective n scientific than the top down(e.g.less speculation), Geographical,biographical and psychological data can assist. Therefore approach has many utilities which can aid with all aspects of the judicial process
A03: bottom-up application
Strength: (application)Can be applied to a wide range of offences e.g. small space analysis can be used for theft …to rape and murder