Criminal profiling Flashcards
What are three early examples of profiling?
James Gall - phrenology; identified region behind ear as “murder organ”
Cesare Lombroso - “The Criminal Man” (three types of criminals linked to physiological features - born, insane, criminaloid)
Dr. Thomas Bond - produced first known profile (of Jack the Ripper) after performing victim autopsies
What are three charcteristics of a successful profiler, according to Hazelwood et al. (1995)?
Appreciation of criminal mind
Investigative experience
Objective and logical analysis
What are the two logical approaches of profiling?
Inductive
Deductive
What typology does the FBI use for serial killers?
Organized-disorganized model
What are four problems with the organized-disorganized model?
Problems with model development
Subjectivity and interpretation
Mixed crime scenes
Debate around empirical support
What are the four types of killer motivation, according to the Holmes & DeBurger (1988) model?
Visionary
Mission
Hedonistic
Power/control
What are three faulty theoretical assumptions of profiling?
Assumes stable personalities
Assumes internal disposition, not situational factors, sole cause of crime
Assumes discrete “types” of people
What are two problems with the usefulness of profiles?
Ambiguous/unhelpful profiles
Common sense profiles
Study - ambiguity of profiles
Alison et al. (2003)
Method - investigators shown crime information and given description of either real culprit or fake culprit (very different descriptions); investigators read real profile (same for each condition), asked to rate the usefulness and accuracy of profile
Results - profile rated equally accurate for two offenders
Barnum effect
Tendency for people to accept vague and general personality descriptions as specific to themselves
Study - accuracy of profiling
Koscis et al. (2002)
Method - different kinds of forensic professionals given information about solved crime, asked to create profile; one group given no specific information about killer, rather stereotypical murder information
Results - all groups roughly equivalent in accuracy; stereotype group only slightly less accurate; possible stereotyping effect happening (profilers just making profile of stereotypical killer)
What is an example of an accurate profile?
Profile of Mad Bomber (George Metesky) by Dr. James Brussell, who analyzed letters by Metesky
What is an example of an inaccurate profile?
Beltway snipers profile by FBI - got race, age, firearm/military experience, criminal affiliations all wrong
Where are the major points of interest in geographic profiling? Where are murder most likely to occur?
Awareness space - space between residence and work
Activity space - space between residence and activities (e.g., gym); murder more likely to occur here
What are the two typologies in “circle theory”
Maurader - uses home as base for killing. Draw circle connecting the two crime locations furthest apart - killer lives within circle
Commuter - commits crimes far away from habitual zone; less common, more common for burglary
