Bottom up - AO3

Question 1

What is a strength of investigative psychology?

and counterpoint

Answer 1

• P: Strength = supporting evidence
• E: Canter and Heritage (1990) conducted an analysis of 66 sexual assault cases using smallest space analysis. Several behaviours were identified in most cases (e.g using impersonal language)
• E: Each individual displyed a pattern of such behaviours, helps establish whether two or more offences were committed by the same person
• L: Supports ones of the basic principles of IP that people are consistent with behaviour

COUNTERPOINT:
Database is only made up of solved crimes, staight forward and linked together
May tell us little about crimes that have few links

Question 2

What is a strength of geographical profiling?

Answer 2

• P: Strength = evidence supporting
• E: Lundruigan and Canter (2001): collated information from 120 murder cases in the US. Smallest space analysis revealed spatial consistency - a centre of gravity
• E: Offenders leave home base in different directions when dumping a body but created a circular effect, especiallly in the case of marauders
• L: Supports the view that geographical information can be used to identify an offender

Question 3

What is are two limitations of geographical profiling?

Answer 3

• P: Limitation = may not be sufficient on its own
• E: Recording of crime is not always accurate, may vary between police forces and an estimated 50% of crimes are not reported to the police
• E: Even if crime data is correct, other factors matter e.g timing of the offence and age and experience of the offender (Ainsworth 2001)
• L: Geographical information alone may not always lead to the successful capture of an offender

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• P: Limitation = mixed results
• E: Copson (1995): surveyed 48 police departments and found that advice provided by a profiler was “useful” in 83% of cases which suggests the approach is valid
• E: Same study revealed that only 3% of cases led to accurate identification. Kocsis et al. (2002) found chemistry students produced more accurate profiles than detectives
• L: Offender profiling may actually have little practical value when it comes to solving cases