forensic psychology - bottom up profiling Flashcards

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1
Q

what is bottom up profiling

A

Profilers work up from evidence collected from the crime scene to develop hypothesises about the likely characteristic, motivations and social background of the offender.

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2
Q

what two techniques are used for bottom up profiling

A

investigative psychology and geographical profiling.

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3
Q

what is investigative psychology

A

A form of bottom up profiling that matches details from the offence or related offences with statistical analysis of typical offender behaviour patterns based on psychological theory.
-> reveals important details about offender

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4
Q

what are the main features of approach

A
  1. Interpersonal coherence – the way an offender behaves at the scene, including how they ‘interact’ with their victim, may reflect their behaviour in more everyday situations.
  2. Time and place – this may indicate where the offender is living or working.
  3. Forensic awareness – certain behaviours might reveal awareness of police techniques and past experience.
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5
Q

what is geographical profiling

A

profiling based on assumption repeat offenders will restrict themselves geographical areas they are familiar with.

understanding the spatial pattern of their behaviour -> ‘centre of gravity’ which is likely to include the offender’s base + help track where they will strike next

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6
Q

what did canters circle theory propose

A

there are two models of offender behaviour
1. The marauder – who operates in close proximity to their home base

  1. The commuter – who is likely to have travelled a distance away from their usual residence
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7
Q

what is a strength of bottom up profiling ? (supporting geographical profiling)

A

lundrigan Canter (2001)
120 murder cases involving serial killers.
each body disposal site was in a different direction from the previous, creating a ‘centre of gravity’ indicating the offenders base.
supports Canter’s claim that spatial information is a key factor in determining the base of an offender -> valid method of offender profiling

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8
Q

what is another strength of BU profiling ( objectivity)

A

more objective and scientific than the top down approach.

advances in artificial intelligence -> geographical, biographical and psychological data manipulated quickly to produce insights that help investigation

bottom up approach -> more grounded in evidence and psychological theory
less speculation and hunches.

impact -> offenders are more quickly and accurately identified in investigations.

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9
Q

what is a limitation of BU profiling ( reliability issues)

A

Studies examining the effectiveness of offender profiling -> mixed results

Copson (1995) surveyed 48 police forces
advice provided by the profiler was judged to be ‘useful’ in 83% of cases
accurate identification of the offender in 3% o cases
significant issues with reliability + accuracy
may not be appropriate for identifying offenders

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10
Q

strength of BU approach (many crimes)

A

can be applied to wide range of offences
burglary + theft + murder+ rape
better than TU approach - only explains limited number of crimes rape, arson, cult killings

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