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Forensics Flashcards

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1
Q

CESARE LOMBROSSO
Define the alavanistic form

A

Offenders possess similar characteristics to lower primates which could explain their criminality

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2
Q

CESARE LOMBROSSO
What theory does the alavanistic form link to?

A

Darwin’s theory of evolution

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3
Q

CESARE LOMBROSSO
Where did central ideas for lombrosso’s work come from?

A

His autopsy of a notorious Italian criminal named Guiseppe Vielela.

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4
Q

CESARE LOMBROSSO
What did Lombrosso note from Guiseppe Vielela?

A

Certain characteristics (specifically a depression on the occipul that he named the median occipital fossa) reminded him of skulls of ‘inferior races’

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5
Q

CESARE LOMBROSSO
What did Lombrosso conclude?

A

Principle cause of criminal tendencies was organic in nature, heredity key cause of deviance.

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6
Q

CESARE LOMBROSSO
What were the physical alavastic stigmata?

A

Large jaws
High cheekbones
Low sloping foreheads

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7
Q

CESARE LOMBROSSO
What did Lombrosso’s theory based on?

A

Using post mortem examinations of criminals and studying the face of living criminals

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8
Q

CESARE LOMBROSSO
How many bodies did Lombrosso and his team study?

A

Over 50-000 bodies

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9
Q

CESARE LOMBROSSO
In one study of 383 convicted italian criminals what did lombrosso and his team find?

A

21% one alvastic trait
43% at least five

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10
Q

CESARE LOMBROSSO
What did Lombrosso suggest about characteristics?

A

They interact with a persons physical and social environment, based on this he distinguished three types of criminal

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11
Q

CESARE LOMBROSSO
What were Lombrossos three types of criminals?

A
  • Born criminals (alavistic)
  • Insane criminals (mental illness)
  • Criminaloids (mental characteristics predisposed them to criminal behaviour)
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12
Q

SHELDON 1949
What did sheldon believe?

A

Three types of body shapes pp fit into to

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13
Q

SHELDON 1949
Describe endomorphic

A

Fat and soft - social and relaxed

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14
Q

SHELDON 1949
Describe ectomorphic

A

Thin and fragile - introverted and restrained

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15
Q

SHELDON 1949
Define mesomorphic

A

Muscular and hard - tend to be aggressive and adventurous

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16
Q

SHELDON 1949
What are convicts most and least likely to be?

A

Most mesomorphic, least ectomorphic

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17
Q

SHELDON 1949
Give two negatives

A

No control group, such as non criminals (Goring1913)
Socially sensitive (Delisi) scientific racism

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18
Q

SHELDON 1949
Give one positve

A

Founded forensic psychology

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19
Q

BIOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS: GENETICS
What is the assumption of this explanation?

A

Inherit genes which predispose us to criminality

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20
Q

BIOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS: GENETICS
Give the results of Raine’s twin studies

A

Concordance rates of 52% for Mz and 21% for Dz

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21
Q

BIOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS: GENETICS
What did Brunner research?

A

28 members of a Dutch family with a history of impulsive and criminal behaviour

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22
Q

BIOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS: GENETICS
What did Brunner analyse?

A

DNA of male members and found they shared a particular gene that led to low levels of MAOA

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23
Q

BIOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS: GENETICS
What did Tihonen study?

A

900 Finnish offenders

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24
Q

BIOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS: GENETICS
What did Tiihonen find evidence of?

A

Low levels of MAOA and low activity from the CDH13 gene

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25
Q

BIOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS: GENETICS
What did Tiihonen estimate?

A

5-10% of all violent crime in Finland is due to abnormality of one of the two genes

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26
Q

BIOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS: GENETICS
What is epigenetics?

A

Genes are switched on or off by epiginomes which have been affected by the environment

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27
Q

BIOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS: GENETICS
What did Caspi 2002 say?

A

Men w low MAOA genes had experienced maltreatment when they were babies, made up 44% of violent convictions in New Zealand

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28
Q

BIOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS: GENETICS
Give a positive

A

Research support from adoption studies
- Crowe studied adopted children w biological criminal parent
- 10x more likely to get a criminal record than children wout

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29
Q

BIOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS: GENETICS
Give one negative

A

Non violent crime

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30
Q

BIOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS: NEURAL
Give percentages of brain injuries for US population and US convicts

A

8.5 US pop, 65% for convicts

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31
Q

BIOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS: NEURAL
What did Raine do?

A

71 brain imaging studies which showed murderers and psychopaths have reduced functioning in the prefrontal cortex

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31
Q

BIOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS: NEURAL
What did Raine do?

A

71 brain imaging studies which showed murderers and psychopaths have reduced functioning in the prefrontal cortex

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32
Q

BIOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS: NEURAL
What did Raine also find?

A

Murderers who weren’t guilty due to insanity had abnormal asymmetrics in their limbic system, particularly in the amygdala which links to emotion and motivation

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33
Q

BIOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS: NEURAL
What can low levels of serotonin lead to?

A

Impulsive agression

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34
Q

BIOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS: NEURAL
What can both high and low levels of noadrenaline lead to?

A

Aggression, high levels activiate fight or flight response

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35
Q

BIOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS: NEURAL
Give one negative

A

Cause vs impact, do anomilies cause crime or crime cause anomilies

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36
Q

BIOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS: NEURAL
Give one positive

A

RWA: treatment, giving criminals diet that enhance serotonin eg eggs and cheese

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37
Q

PSYCHOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS FOR OFFENDING
What is Eseyneck’s theory of the criminal personality?

A

Character traits tend to cluster along three dimensions and can lead to criminality

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38
Q

PSYCHOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS FOR OFFENDING
What are the three dimensions?

A

Extravert to introvert
Neurotic to stable
Psychotic to normal

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39
Q

PSYCHOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS FOR OFFENDING
What is the criminal personality?

A

Extraverted, neurotic, psychotic

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40
Q

PSYCHOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS FOR OFFENDING
What is the EPQ?

A

A scientific test which locates respondents along dimensions to determine personality type

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41
Q

PSYCHOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS FOR OFFENDING
Describe extroverts and crime

A

Seek external stimulation to increase brain arousal, less likely to be affected by negative outcomes of behaviour and may enjoy “thrill of a crime”

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42
Q

PSYCHOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS FOR OFFENDING
Descibe neuroticism and crime

A

Unstable, easily upset. Determined by level of stability in sympathetic nervous system. More likely to overreact or fly off the handle.

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43
Q

PSYCHOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS FOR OFFENDING
Describe psychoticism and crime

A

High levels of testosterone, aggressive, lack empathy. High scores relate to vulnerability for mental illness

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44
Q

PSYCHOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS FOR OFFENDING
What did Eynseck and his wife Sybill assess?

A

2700 male prisoners with a control of 2422 males. Prisoners higher E, N and P

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45
Q

PSYCHOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS FOR OFFENDING
Give three negatives

A
  • Gender bias
  • Self report technique
  • Personality not consistent: Mischel similar situations not different
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46
Q

COGNITIVE EXPLANATIONS
Give the two elements

A

Cognitive distortions, levels of moral reasoning

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47
Q

COGNITIVE EXPLANATIONS
Cog distortion: hostile attribution bias

A

Assumes worst about others, negative interpretations of someones behaviour leads to aggression

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48
Q

COGNITIVE EXPLANATIONS
Shonenburg and Justye research support

A

55 violent offenders present w images of emotionally ambiguous facial expressions. More likely to percieve as angry

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49
Q

COGNITIVE EXPLANATIONS
Describe minimalisation

A

Downplaying consequences of actions, thus don’t see crime acts in negative way

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50
Q

COGNITIVE EXPLANATIONS
Barbaree research support

A

26 convicted rapists, 54% denied they had committed an offence at all. 40% minimised harm had caused victim

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51
Q

COGNITIVE EXPLANATIONS
Describe level of moral reasoning

A

Kohlburg interviewed boys and men about reasons behind moral decisions. From this, constructed theory of moral development

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52
Q

COGNITIVE EXPLANATIONS
Pre conventional

A

Driven by reward or punishment

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53
Q

COGNITIVE EXPLANATIONS
Conventional

A

Want to conform to social rules

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54
Q

COGNITIVE EXPLANATIONS
Post conventional

A

Human rights take precedent over the law

55
Q

COGNITIVE EXPLANATIONS
What are criminals most likely to be?

A

Pre conventional, do not progress from this stage. Believe can break law if rewards exceed the cost or punishment can be avoided. Most reach this stage around 10

56
Q

COGNITIVE EXPLANATIONS
Give three negatives

A

Gender bias, only explain pre meditated crime, culture bias

57
Q

THE PSYCHODYNAMIC APPROACH
Bowlby maternal deprivation

A

44 thieves, maternal dep can lead to being an affectionless psychopath

58
Q

THE PSYCHODYNAMIC APPROACH
What is an affectionless psychopath?

A

No empathy, more likely to commit crime

59
Q

THE PSYCHODYNAMIC APPROACH
When and how does the superego develop?

A

Age 4, identification with a same sex parent

60
Q

THE PSYCHODYNAMIC APPROACH
Describe a weak or underdeveloped superego

A

Weak or no identifacation w same sex parent. Poor ability to control Id and thus acts impulsively on basic desires/impulses. Leads to antisocial or criminal behaviour.

61
Q

THE PSYCHODYNAMIC APPROACH
Describe a harsh superego

A

Identifacation with a very strict parent. Id, strong feelings of guilt, commit crime wanting to be caught

62
Q

THE PSYCHODYNAMIC APPROACH
Describe a deviant superego

A

Children w deviant parents take on deviant attitudes

63
Q

THE PSYCHODYNAMIC APPROACH
Give one positive

A

Improving care (RWA)

64
Q

THE PSYCHODYNAMIC APPROACH
Give two negatives

A

Temporal validity: homosexual
Gender bias: women weaker identifcation, 96% of prisons men

65
Q

DIFFERENTIAL ASSOCIATION THEORY
What does Edwin Sutherland argue?

A

Offending entirely learnt

66
Q

DIFFERENTIAL ASSOCIATION THEORY
What is learned?

A

A child learns attitudes towards crime, whether desirable or undesirable. Learn pro criminal attitudes and which crimes are considered acceptable

67
Q

DIFFERENTIAL ASSOCIATION THEORY
Who is it learned from?

A

Intimate personal groups: friends, family, wider neighbourhood

68
Q

DIFFERENTIAL ASSOCIATION THEORY
How is it learnt?

A

Sutherland suggested frequency, length and personal meanings of associations will determine degree of influence

69
Q

DIFFERENTIAL ASSOCIATION THEORY
What type of conditioning occurs?

A

Direct or indirect

70
Q

DIFFERENTIAL ASSOCIATION THEORY
What reinforcement may occur?

A

Vicarious

71
Q

DIFFERENTIAL ASSOCIATION THEORY
Give one positive

A

Major influence on forensic psych in regard to white collar crime

72
Q

DIFFERENTIAL ASSOCIATION THEORY
Two negatives

A

Methodological issues, seperate learnt from inherited, non falsifiable
Can’t explain all crime

73
Q

ANGER MANAGEMENT
What is this a form of?

A

CBT, rec cognitions that trigger anger to prevent developing into violence

74
Q

ANGER MANAGEMENT
What are general aims of AM programme?

A

Short term: reduce aggression
Long term: reduction of recidivism

75
Q

ANGER MANAGEMENT
What did Novaco do?

A

Stress inoculation model

76
Q

ANGER MANAGEMENT
Describe aim one: cognitive restructuring

A

Self awareness and control over cogntions

77
Q

ANGER MANAGEMENT
Describe method one: cognitive preparation

A

Analyse own patterns of anger and identify provoking situations

78
Q

ANGER MANAGEMENT
Describe aim two: regulation of arousal

A

Control of physiological state

79
Q

ANGER MANAGEMENT
Describe method two: skills acquisition

A

Skills to help manage anger: relaxation

80
Q

ANGER MANAGEMENT
Describe aim three: behavioural strategies

A

Problem solving skills, strategic withdrawl and assertiveness

81
Q

ANGER MANAGEMENT
Describe method three: application training

A

Apply skills to something like a role play, then real world

82
Q

ANGER MANAGEMENT
Give one positive

A

Successful: Landenberger 2005 analysed 58 studies using CBT for anger management as part of therapy, neg correlation

83
Q

ANGER MANAGEMENT
Give two negatives

A

Individual diffs,
Methodological issues, role play not real

84
Q

CUSTODIAL SENTENCES & RECIDIVISM
How many men are in UK prisons?

A

80-000

85
Q

CUSTODIAL SENTENCES & RECIDIVISM
How many women are in UK prisons?

A

4000

86
Q

CUSTODIAL SENTENCES & RECIDIVISM
What percentage of adults recommit?

A

46%

87
Q

CUSTODIAL SENTENCES & RECIDIVISM
What percentage of young people recommit?

A

67%

88
Q

CUSTODIAL SENTENCES & RECIDIVISM
What are the aims of custodial sentences [pneumonic]?

A

PPDRR
- Protection
- Punishment
- Deterrent
- Retribution
- Rehabilitation

89
Q

CUSTODIAL SENTENCES & RECIDIVISM
Protecting the public

A

Incarceration only protects from a small number of dangerous convicts. Most prisoners not violent so not relevant to all

90
Q

CUSTODIAL SENTENCES & RECIDIVISM
Punish and prevent

A

Nearly 50% of prisoners reoffend

91
Q

CUSTODIAL SENTENCES & RECIDIVISM
Deterrent

A

US murder rates still high despite death penalty

92
Q

CUSTODIAL SENTENCES & RECIDIVISM
Retribution

A

Can be achieved wout custodial sentencing, crime specific, restorative justice

93
Q

CUSTODIAL SENTENCES & RECIDIVISM
Rehabilitation

A

Offenders cannot be forced to take part in programme, reduction in sentences

94
Q

CUSTODIAL SENTENCES & RECIDIVISM
Give three negatives

A
  • Creation of more crime: thieves
  • Individual differences: young people 67%
  • Alternatives: probation, fines, community service
95
Q

TOKEN ECONOMY
Define behavioural modifacation

A

Altering or improving behaviour through the premise of operant conditioning

96
Q

TOKEN ECONOMY
Give the four steps of token economy

A
  1. Identify desired behaviour
  2. Reward w token
  3. Exchange for goods/services
  4. Institution
97
Q

TOKEN ECONOMY
Why should token economy be done in an insitution?

A

Can be manipulated and controlled

98
Q

TOKEN ECONOMY
Give two target behaviour examples

A

Making the bed, pp in activities

99
Q

TOKEN ECONOMY
Give two rewards

A

TV time, cigarette

100
Q

TOKEN ECONOMY
Give three elements of token economy

A

Reinforcement, punishment, shaping

101
Q

TOKEN ECONOMY
Who did Hobbs et al observe?

A

Adolescent delinquents

102
Q

TOKEN ECONOMY
What did the adolescent delinquent study show?

A

Tokens 29%
No tokens 0%

103
Q

TOKEN ECONOMY
Give one positive

A

Strength of ease, implementation, training

104
Q

TOKEN ECONOMY
Give two negatives

A

Ethics, life outside prison

105
Q

RESTORATIVE JUSTICE
What does restorative justice seek to do?

A

Achieve justice by repairing harm done rather than punishment, typically involves communication between victim and offender. alternative to prison

106
Q

RESTORATIVE JUSTICE
What are the aims?

A

Rehabilitation of offender, atonement for wrongdoing, helping victim

107
Q

RESTORATIVE JUSTICE
What did Watchel and Mccold find?

A

Must involve victim offender and community. Victim must seek reparation, offender responsibility community restoration. if all three involved then creates a peace circle

108
Q

RESTORATIVE JUSTICE
Give two positives

A

Reducing recidivism: 14%
85% victim satisfaction

109
Q

RESTORATIVE JUSTICE
Give two negatives

A

Suitability
Ethics: shaming offender, may be a child

110
Q

OFFENDER PROFILING: TOP DOWN
What is offender profiling?

A

A method of determining characteristics of an offender by examining the crime and scene. Narrows down suspects rather than specifying one

111
Q

OFFENDER PROFILING: TOP DOWN
Describe top down profiling

A

Used by US (FBI), a qualitative approach looking at whole picture

112
Q

OFFENDER PROFILING: TOP DOWN
What is top down profiling based on?

A

Police exp and case studies, suitable for more extreme/unusual crime like rape or murder

113
Q

OFFENDER PROFILING: TOP DOWN
What did the FBI use to develop this method?

A

In depth interviews w 36 convicted serial killers including Ted Bundy. Info then produced a “typical criminal”

114
Q

OFFENDER PROFILING: TOP DOWN
Give stage one

A

Profiling inputs: description abt crime scenes, background info, gathering information

115
Q

OFFENDER PROFILING: TOP DOWN
Give stage two

A

Decision process models: organise data to meaningful patterns

116
Q

OFFENDER PROFILING: TOP DOWN
Give stage three

A

Crime assessment: organised or disorganised

117
Q

OFFENDER PROFILING: TOP DOWN
Define organised and disorganised time

A

Organised = planned & targeted
Disorganised = unplanned & random victim selection

118
Q

OFFENDER PROFILING: TOP DOWN
Give stage four

A

Criminal profile: an offender profile is created, habits, bg, use this to get suspects

119
Q

OFFENDER PROFILING: TOP DOWN
Give stage five

A

Profile assessment: report given to police and matching pp being identified. If new evidence is generated back to stage 2

120
Q

OFFENDER PROFILING: TOP DOWN
Give stage six

A

Apprehension: suspect caught and process evaluated

121
Q

OFFENDER PROFILING: TOP DOWN
Give two negatives

A

Could be a mix of organised and disorganised, sub category may become a dumping ground
Developed from interviews w serial killers, atypical so can they really give a typical portrait?

122
Q

OFFENDER PROFILING: TOP DOWN
Give one positive

A

Police officers report as useful, 82% say provides new avenues

123
Q

OFFENDER PROFILING: BOTTOM UP
Main name?

A

David Canter

124
Q

OFFENDER PROFILING: BOTTOM UP
What techniques are used?

A

Statistical techniques, working from crime scene evidence first

125
Q

OFFENDER PROFILING: BOTTOM UP
Where did Canter develop the technique?

A

“Railway Rapist” case, technique led to criminal apprehension

126
Q

OFFENDER PROFILING: BOTTOM UP
What are the two parts of “investigative psychology”?

A

Interpersonal coherence and forensic awareness

127
Q

OFFENDER PROFILING: BOTTOM UP
Define interpersonal coherence

A

Pp are consistent in most behaviours, elements of crime can link to this behaviour. Look for patterns

128
Q

OFFENDER PROFILING: BOTTOM UP
Define forensic awareness

A

Some may indicate awareness of police/forensic technique, insinuates past offences and experience

129
Q

OFFENDER PROFILING: BOTTOM UP
What does geographical profiling assume?

A

Offenders more likely to comit where they live

130
Q

OFFENDER PROFILING: BOTTOM UP
What can GP be useful for?

A

Prioritising house to house searches

131
Q

OFFENDER PROFILING: BOTTOM UP
Limitations of GP

A

Can’t distinguish multiple offenders in same area, dismissed by Vancouver police department

132
Q

OFFENDER PROFILING: BOTTOM UP
Describe circle theory

A

Maurauderers or commuters, marauderer more likely (91%)

133
Q

OFFENDER PROFILING: BOTTOM UP
Give one positive

A

More scientific bc uses statistical techniques than TD

134
Q

OFFENDER PROFILING: BOTTOM UP
Give two negatives

A

Stats only show caught criminals
May lead to wrongful convictions/stereotyping

135
Q

OFFENDER PROFILING: BOTTOM UP
Give one positive of investigative psych

A

Cospon: 75% of police say useful

136
Q

OFFENDER PROFILING: BOTTOM UP
Give one negative of investigative psych

A

Cospon: only 3% apprehension of offenders

Psychology (11 decks)

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