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Forensics Flashcards

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1
Q

What is smallest space analysis?

A

Stats technique by Canter - how likely features of crimes are to exist with another feature at a certain crime scene.
Scientific.

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2
Q

What is the top down approach?

A

Start with established typology (from interviews with 36 sexually motived serial killers). Assign to category - organised/not.
US approach - data assimilation, crime reconstruction.

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3
Q

What is the difference between an organised and disorganised criminal?

A

Organised: preplanned, body moved/posed, trophies, higher IQ, socially competent
Disorganised: messy, left evidence, impulsive, lower IQ, drugs/alcohol sometimes

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4
Q

What are evaluation points for the top down approach?

A
  • some less successful
  • less systematic
  • self report of criminals
  • ecological validity
  • real life applications
  • nomothetic
  • Holmes: FBI data, profile only helps 17% of cases
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5
Q

What is the bottom up approach?

A

Investigative psychology - patterns across crime scenes. Interpersonal coherence, sig. of time and place, forensic awareness.
By Canter - quantitative data and 3 themes:
1. instrumental opportunism
2. instrumental cognitive
3. expressive compulsive

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6
Q

What are evaluation points for the bottom up approach?

A
  • only with caught criminals
  • generalisable
  • no longitudinal studies
  • little consistency
  • low validity
  • individual differences of crimes
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7
Q

What is geographical profiling?

A

Make inferences from location and timing of crimes. Circle theory - will contain base. Canter + Larkin.

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8
Q

What are the 2 types of geographical profiles?

A

Marauder - close to base
Commuter - travel away from base
eg. Suffolk strangler - Canter created v accurate profile.

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9
Q

What are studies relating to geographical profiling?

A

Copson - in survey, 75% of UK police found profiles useful but 3% actually found criminal.
Fox and Farrington - new trends in categorisation and increasing accuracy.

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10
Q

What is the atavistic form?

A

Sees criminals as having primitive features. Lombroso in 1870s.
eg. heavy brow, strong jaw, big ears.
Not to blame for actions as behaviour determined by physiology. Based 4000 criminals and skulls of 400 dead ones.

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11
Q

What is the genetic explanation for crime?

A

Inherit gene/combo - predispose to crime. No study with 100% concordance, so not the only influence.

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12
Q

What effect does the MAOA gene and serotonin have on criminality?

A

MAOA associated with aggressive behaviour. People 13x more likely to have violent history. Mitigating factors?
Serotonin inhibiting amygdala activity - aggression.

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13
Q

What does the diathesis stress model say about criminality?

A

Can be predisposed but moderated by environment. Brunner said genetic transmission of abnormal chromosome –> neural influence.

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14
Q

What is the neural explanation for crime?

A

Noradrenaline - extreme levels liked with violence. Serotonin - low levels + impulse aggression, dopamine hyperactivity can increase effects.

Raine meta analysis of 71 studies with murderers etc. Decreased functioning in prefrontal cortex.

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15
Q

What are evaluation points of biological explanations?

A
  • not all crime types are violent
  • correlational
  • biological determinism
  • reductionism
  • daily application
  • no causality
  • not predictive
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16
Q

How are mirror neurones and head injuries relevant?

A

60% of US prison population had a head injury.
Mirror neurones allow for empathy, so criminals with APD experience it more sporadically - only activated when asked.

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17
Q

What is Eysenck’s theory?

A

EPI questionnaire measured personality types. Criminals high in:
Psychoticism
Extraversion
Neuroticism
Assessed over 2070 male prisoners and a control group - prisoners had higher PEN scores.

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18
Q

Why are most criminals extraverts?

A

As they seek excitement for serotonin. They have an under-aroused NS, so need more risk in their environment.
Criminality = immature, selfish and immediate gratification from childhood.

19
Q

What are evaluation points for Eysenck’s theory?

A
  • not help detect offenders
  • cultural differences
  • can help treatment
  • biological determinism
20
Q

What is the cognitive explanation for crime?

A

The Heinz dilemma by Kohlberg - reasoning matters the most.
pre-conventional - obedience, self interest CRIMINALS
conventional - conformity, authority
post-conventional - social contract

21
Q

What is moral reasoning?

A

The process someone draws upon their own value system to determine right/wrong.
Operationalised by Kohlberg.

22
Q

What is evidence for and against the cognitive explanations?

A

FOR: Blackburn - due to childhood lacking moral role-play.
AGAINST: Thornton + Reid - pre-con with crimes like theft, but impulsive crimes have no reasoning.

23
Q

What are evaluation points for cognitive explanations?

A
  • cognitive approach is descriptive
  • individual differences
  • low predictive validity as depends on crime
  • gender bias - women more empathetic
24
Q

What are cognitive distortions?

A

Faulty/biased irrational thinking. Perceive self and others inaccurately and negatively.

25
Q

What are the 3 main cognitive distortions?

A

Hostile attribution bias, minimalisation, differential association theory.

26
Q

What is hostile attribution bias?

A

Judge ambiguous behaviours as aggressive when not. Measured with hypothetical scenarios.

27
Q

What is minimalisation?

A

Downplay significance of event. Dealing with guilt - type of self deception. V common with sex offenders - say had consent.

28
Q

What is differential association theory?

A

Sutherland. Learn criminality from environment - around favourable messages. SLT.
Scientific theory - pro criminal attitudes.

29
Q

What is Blackburn’s theory of an inadequate superego?

A
  1. Deviant - criminal father, same superego so not resist id.
  2. Overdeveloped - overly strict -> guilt. When caught + punished -> relief.
  3. Underdeveloped - id unrestricted. Lack of same sex parent. No guilt - only gratification, selfish.
30
Q

What is the psychodynamic explanation?

A

Freud’s ego defence mechanisms
- displacement
- sublimation - strong id impulse expressed as social norm.
- rationalisation - explain behaviour so rational.

31
Q

What are evaluation points for the psychodynamic explanation?

A
  • qualitative case studies
  • subjective
  • psychic determinism
  • lacks predictive validity
  • criminal parents - genes/socialisation?
32
Q

What are the aims of custodial sentencing?

A

Retribution
Rehabilitation
Incapacitation
Deterrence

33
Q

What are the negatives of custodial sentencing?

A

Not always best option for crime.
60,000 a year per prisoner.
UK prisons almost at max capacity.
Record number of self harm/suicide.
Women in prison decreasing, but 1/4 of prisoners are ethnic minorities.

34
Q

What are the psychological effects of prison?

A

Stress and depression, institutionalisation, de-individuation (Zimbardo).
Effects on family - children affected financially/mentally.

35
Q

What is recidivism?

A

Reoffending. 67% of teens reconvicted within a year of release in UK. Countries which focus on rehabilitation have low recidivism.
Some resettlement programmes can help adjustment to society.

36
Q

Describe Calhoun’s study into overcrowding in prisons.

A

Norwegian rats in 4 compartments, each with 12 rats. Some dominant rats claimed territory. V aggressive and not care for offspring.
Overcrowding led to physiological and behavioural abnormalities.

  • lab study on rats
  • space artificially restricted
  • humans more adaptable
37
Q

Why is recidivism high?

A

Many not have a good education - 50% not have skills for 96% of jobs. So return to crime.
Parole acts as incentive to obey prison rules - entitled to financial help from council.

38
Q

What is a token economy?

A

Method of behaviour modification - tokens = secondary reinforcers, can be exchanged for primary. Also taken away but must be consistent.
Hobbs and Holt - young criminals in 3 small prisons. Sig. increase in good behaviour

39
Q

How is anger management effective as a behaviour modification?

A

Cognitive therapy - more reflective and active. LT treatment but playing system?
1. Cognitive prep - identify triggers
2. Skill acquisition - relaxation techniques
3. Application training

40
Q

Evaluate behaviour modifications in prison.

A
  • manipulate for basic rights
  • gender bias but reflects prison pop.
  • everyday applications
  • no longitudinal research
  • must want to do it
  • hard to measure
  • insight to thoughts
41
Q

What are restorative justice programmes?

A

Involves victim but not always F2F. Resources wasted if someone backs out. Is v flexible - can repay debt to society when fine not have effect.
Voluntary for both.
Watchel and McCold - theory to focus on healing harm.

42
Q

What are the pros of restorative justice programmes?

A

Ask questions, accept responsibility, positive outcomes, acknowledge harm, active involvement.

43
Q

What are evaluative points for restorative justice programmes?

A
  • cheaper
  • flexible
  • can decrease recidivism
  • provision - postcode lottery
  • little public support
  • high dropout rate

Psychology (12 decks)

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