Forensic Psychology Flashcards
What is offender profiling?
- idea that an offender can be deduced from the characteristics of the offence, and components of the crime scene.
Describe the 2 categories of the top-down approach that murders and rapists are classified into.
- organised: usually planned crime, with above average intelligence and usually functioning members of society with stable relationships and control during crime
- disorganised: usually below-average intelligence, and unplanned, tend to live alone and have history of sexual dysfunction+failed relationships.
What are the 4 main stages in the construction of a profile using the top-down approach?
- data assimilation
- crime scene classification
- crime reconstruction
- profile reconstruction
Evaluate the Top-Down approach
+: useful tool when little physical evidence is available, shows that it can be used in a variety of different circumstances.
-: unscientific in the way its developed - data was collected from interviews from only 36 male criminals, so small sample size and self-reported data questions validity.
-: Limited range of crimes are applicable, more common offences do not apply as it reveals very little about the criminal themselves - so not applicable to all crimes.
Describe the Bottom-up approach
- involves building a profile from collecting data and evidence FIRST, then constructing a profile.
Name and describe 3 key assumptions of the bottom-up approach.
- interpersonal coherence - how the behave with the crime might be their nature in real life.
- significance of time and place - clues as to where the criminal might work/live
- Forensic awareness: describes people that may have been investigated before, eg making sure not to leave fingerprints or hair.
Describe the process of smallest space analysis.
- a computer program that identifies correlations across patterns of behaviour, likely to establish patterns of behaviour that were likely to occur at the scene.
Describe the process of geographic profiling.
- using the assumption that offenders will restrict their work to geographical area
- Circle theory - the fact that offenders likely to be a marauder or commuter.
Evaluate the Bottom-up approach.
+: Scientific approach - data driven profiles, which limits need for intuition. Shows that it is objective and not driven by expectation or intuition.
+: applicable to several crime types - techniques like smallest space analysis can be used to profile offences such as burglary and murders as it does not come down to offender’s personality traits.
-: approach doesn’t seem to be consistent, as there may be varying amounts of evidence and data available at the scene, meaning there is no way to go forward without sufficient evidence.
Describe Lombroso’s theory of atavistic form is terms of WHY criminality? (2 points)
- the idea that criminality was innate, and criminals themselves were genetic throwbacks - less evolved that non criminals.
- also touched on criminals having certain facial features, such as large or very small ears, facial aysmetry, a strong jaw etc.
- so he said that they become a criminal due to not being able to adjust to civilised society.
Evaluate the atavistic form.
+: first attempt at scientifically explaining criminality: came from religious explanations and made a major contribution to criminology today.
-/+: Deterministic: does not consider a criminal’s free will, which might lead to less severe punishment and removes blame and emphasises a focus on treatment, which may or may not be a good thing.
-: Racist ideas: many features that he mentions of ‘less evolved’ people focus on things like dark skin and curly hair, which are more likley ot be present in African communities. Shows that his theory can lead to discrimination and stereotypes.
Outline genetic explanations for criminality.
- candidate genes of MAOA
- leads to lower levels of monoamine oxidase, which breaks down testorone
- leading to higher levels of testostorne
- linked to high levels of violence and aggression
Outline neural explanations of criminality.
- antisocial personalities have less brain matter in the pre-frontal cortex, and lower activity.
- this is associated with lower impulse control, which could lead to criminality.
- amygdala is less activated due to lower serotonin levels, and that might lead to a person recognising that one is afraid, but not show empathy.
- lower serotonin levels are also linked to aggression.
Evaluate biological explanations of offending behaviour
+: Biological, and scientific approach. Thus, is objective and empirical, making it valid.
+/-: implications on justice system: the approach could turn focus to treatments rather than criminal punshiment, which might be more useful for some criminals than others.
-: Biological reductionism: ignores free will and/or environmental factors. Alternative explaination could be using the diathesis stress model.
Describe Eysenck’s theory of the criminal personality
- believed that all personality types had a biological basis.
- described that criminals inherit a neurotic-extravert personality.
Define neuroticism
- people who experience high levels of emotion and are more likely to commit a crime in an emotionally charged situation, do not condition easily.
What is the link between a neurotic-extraverts and conditioning?
- people who are neurotic-extravert associate their risk taking behaviour with the higher arousal levels, thus will be more likely to carry out impulse, or criminal behaviour more often.
Define psychoticism
- the amount of emotion/empathy/compassion felt for other people
Evaluate Eysenck’s theory of the criminal personality.
-: theory relies on stable personality over time, which may be too simplistic, and an alternative dual taximony was suggested, with people who are stable in offending behaviour, and those who stop offending behaviour in their adolescent years.
-: the fact that not all NE personality types become criminals, eg 5 factor model that takes into account agreeability and other factors that could be important in criminality.
+: Methodology in personality questionnaire - lie score that could eliminate, or reduce the effect of social desirability bias, leading to more valid results.
Describe Kohlberg’s theory of moral reasoning as an explanation for offending behaviour
- suggested that criminals do not get past the pre-conventional stage of moral reasoning - as they may commit a crime if they think they’ll get away with it, or if the crime benefits them in some way.
Describe cognitive distortions as an explanation for criminality.
- they are a failure to accurately represent reality in the mind. This may result in irrational thinking and misunderstanding of behaviour.
- this can lead to behavioural responses that could be criminal.
Describe 2 examples of cognitive distortions
- Hostile Attribution bias: assumptions that another individual has negative intentions, eg from misleading body language, or ‘looks’. This may result in aggressive behaviour.
- Minimalization: when one’s own behaviour is interpreted as less serious than it is - this may lead to justification where the individual may try to reduce their own personal feelings of guilt.
Evaluate cognitive explanations for offending behaviour.
+: can be used in developing CBT and therapy to challenge irrational thinking. This means that research could reduce effects of crime, and its impact on the economy.
-: gender bias in Kohlberg’s research: all male sample, beta biased. But when women tested, they were less morally developed, and since males are more likely to be offenders, it shows that Kohlberg’s ideas are not generalisable.
-: research based on hypothetical dilemma tasks, so SDB likely to play here, and so the theory may not be generalisable to real life offences.
Outline differential association theory
- suggests that offending occurs through socialisation.
- eg learned through social norms and relationships
