Criminal Scene Profiling

Question 1

Two types of crime scene profiling

Answer 1

1. Deductive analysis

2. Inductive analysis

Question 2

Define deductive analysis

Answer 2

Attempts to infer characteristics of an offender from an analysis of the evidence gathered from a specific crime scene or series of crimes. Based, in a large part, off the experience and intuition of the profiler

Question 3

Define inductive analysis

Answer 3

Focuses more on statistical averages of the characteristics of the typical offender, where inferences from previously solved cases are used. The data is used to identify the most probable suspect

Question 4

Define the Organized/ Disorganized dichotomy

Answer 4

Runs of the assumption that an organized crime = organized offender

Question 5

Define an organized offender

Answer 5

1. Cunning and methodological

2. Crime usually committed far from residence

Question 6

Define an disorganized offender

Answer 6

1. Lack cunning, asocial, have difficulty with relationships

2. Usually live close to crime

Question 7

Define the modus operandi

Answer 7

i. The actions and procedures an offender used to commit crime successfully
ii. This may be changed, if the criminal finds better techniques

Question 8

Define Personation

Answer 8

i. Any behaviour that goes beyond what was necessary to commit a crime, such as a signature (an identical object at every crime scene)

Question 9

Define staging

Answer 9

The intentional alteration of the scene prior to the arrival of the police

Question 10

Why is staging usually done?

Answer 10

1. Direct investigation away from most likely suspect

2. Protect victim or family from public embarrassment

Question 11

Define a trophy

Answer 11

An item taken from the crime scene that symbolizes triumph over the victim

Question 12

Define a souvenir

Answer 12

Meaningful item taken by the offender to remember the crime

Question 13

Define undoing

Answer 13

i. Behavioral pattern at the crime scene where the offender tries to psychologically undo the crime
ii. Two extremes: attempts to make body appear lifelike, or completely destroy the corpse

Question 14

What are some pitfalls of crime scene profiling?

Answer 14

1. Memory and cognitive biases:
2. Confirmation bias
3. Self-serving bias
4. Fundamental attribution error

Question 15

Define memory and cognitive bias

Answer 15

Biases that rely on experience and observation, not the hard facts.May lead to belief persistence

Question 16

Define confirmation bias, and what is a circumstance in which it is likely to occur?

Answer 16

The heavy reliance on memory and experience can lead to conclusions that are ambiguous and unverifiable
1. When there is ambiguous information

Question 17

Define self-serving bias

Answer 17

To interpret events in way that assigns credit to oneself for successes without acknowledging failure

Question 18

Define fundamental attribution error

Answer 18

Tendency to explain persons behaviour in terms of dispositional or personality factors, rather than situational or environmental factors