Forensic Psychology

Question 1

Offender profiling -

Answer 1

Investigative tool used by the police in order of when solving a crime to reduce the lists of potential suspects.

Question 2

The types of approaches two managing offender profiling -

Answer 2

Top-down and bottom-up

Question 3

Top-down approach by the US -

Answer 3

-1970s
- Murders or such events could be classed in disorganised or organised crimes
- Each one has certain characteristics which suggest what the character of the offender was like
- Use info/date from a crime scene and discuss whether which category it fits best in. This can be known as ‘ways of working’

Question 4

Organised offender -

Answer 4

• Shows evidence of planning
• Targets a specific victim
• Tends to be higher of social and sexual competence

Question 5

Disorganised offender -

Answer 5

• Little planning evidence
• Leaves clues to the crime scene
• Socially and sexually incompetent and lower-average intelligence

Question 6

Bottom-up approach is a what kind of approach -

Answer 6

Data-driven and is favoured in the UK

Question 7

Profiles of bottom-up approach -

Answer 7

Made under the conditions of social background and routine behaviour uses statistical techniques to produce predictions about the likely characteristics of the offender. Considers investigative psychology and geographical profiling.

Question 8

Investigative psychology in the bottom-up approach -

Answer 8

• Developed by David Canter
• Uses psychological theory and statistical procedures to analyse a crime scene
• Canter believes the way a person behaves in a crime scene mirrors the way they do in real life.
• Therefore offers a pattern develops offering clues to the lifestyle.

Question 9

Geographical profiling in the bottom-up approach -

Answer 9

• Developed by David Canter
• Suggests that information about the location and timing of offences can allow such predictions
• Where the may live
  All these factors allow crime mapping which is used to target crime preventions in the right areas and priorities suspects. This assumes and expects that such offences will be limited in a geographical area and on familiar territory suggesting knowledge of the spatial pattern showed. This is known as circle theory.

Question 10

Crime mapping and circle theory -

Answer 10

• Where the may live
  All these factors allow crime mapping which is used to target crime preventions in the right areas and priorities suspects. This assumes and expects that such offences will be limited in a geographical area and on familiar territory suggesting knowledge of the spatial pattern showed. This is known as circle theory.

Question 11

Eysenck’s theory of personality (Psychological) -

Answer 11

Suggested behaviour could be represented along two dimensions introversion-extraversion and neuroticism-stability, latter added Psychoticism-social ability

Question 12

Biological basis of Eysenck -

Answer 12

These personality types come from innate biological basis from they type of nervous system we inherit.

Question 13

Extraverts biological basis -

Answer 13

Constantly seek excitement and stimulation, risk-taking behaviours, react overact to situations (criminal personality)

Question 14

Neurotic biological basis -

Answer 14

High reactivity of the sympathetic nervous system and respond quickly to threatening situations, difficult to predict behaviour, seek arousal and dangerous activities (criminal personality)

Question 15

Psychotic biological basis -

Answer 15

Suggested to have higher levels of testosterone, therefore aggressive (criminal explanation)

Question 16

Measurement of personality -

Answer 16

Eysenck’s personality questionnaire allocates such individuals on the E N or P scale.

Question 17

Sutherlands differential association theory - basics

Answer 17

• Explains criminal behaviours in terms of social learning
• the likelihood of offending is dependant on interactions with others
• Social approach seen to explain how offending is passed down through reinforcement and observation
• Some will be pro-crime or anti-crime attitudes
• For offending to occur Pro-crime must outweigh anti-crime.
• Mathematical prediction

Question 18

Sutherlands 9 key principles -

Answer 18

Criminal behaviour is learnt not innate, through the association, such individuals will vary in intensity and frequency 4