Forensics (PAPER 3) Flashcards
(AO1) What is the top-down approach to offender profiling?
Originated in the US, based on FBI interviews with serial killers. Offenders are classified as organised or disorganised based on crime scene analysis.
(AO1) What are characteristics of an organised offender?
Planned crimes, controlled crime scene, above-average IQ, socially competent.
(AO1) What are characteristics of a disorganised offender?
Spontaneous, messy crime scene, lower IQ, socially inadequate.
(AO3) What’s a criticism of the top-down approach?
Based on a small, unrepresentative sample of killers (e.g. 36 interviews); lacks scientific validity.
(AO1) What is the bottom-up approach to offender profiling?
Developed in the UK. Uses statistical analysis of crime scene data (e.g. geographical profiling) to build a profile without pre-existing categories.
(AO3) What’s a strength of the bottom-up approach?
Based on empirical evidence and statistical analysis (e.g. Canter’s work); more objective and scientific.
(AO3) What evidence supports geographical profiling?
Canter’s Circle Theory: offenders commit crimes in a ‘marauder’ or ‘commuter’ pattern around a central base.
(AO1) What did Lombroso suggest about criminality?
Criminals have atavistic features (e.g. large jaw, sloping brow) — evolutionary throwbacks with primitive traits.
(AO3) What’s a key criticism of Lombroso’s theory?
It’s scientifically flawed and based on racist stereotypes; no control group used in his studies.
(AO1) What is the genetic explanation of offending behaviour?
Suggests criminal behaviour is inherited. Studies implicate genes like MAOA and CDH13.
(AO1) What are findings from twin studies on offending?
Concordance rates for criminality are higher in MZ twins than DZ twins (e.g. Lange’s study).
(AO1) What is the diathesis-stress model in relation to offending?
Genetic predisposition (e.g. MAOA gene) + environmental triggers (e.g. childhood abuse) increase risk of offending.
(AO3) What’s a strength of genetic explanations?
Research like Brunner et al. (1993) links MAOA deficiency to aggression in a Dutch family.
(AO3) What’s a limitation of biological explanations?
They ignore social/environmental factors like poverty or education.
(AO1) What are Eysenck’s three personality dimensions?
Extraversion, Neuroticism, Psychoticism — criminals score high on all three.
(AO1) How is Eysenck’s theory linked to biological factors?
Traits are biologically based — e.g. extraverts have underactive nervous systems.
(AO3) What’s a weakness of Eysenck’s theory?
Personality may not be consistent across situations — lacks validity.
(AO1) What is level of moral reasoning?
Kohlberg’s theory — criminals often display pre-conventional morality: avoiding punishment and seeking reward.
(AO1) What are cognitive distortions?
Faulty thought patterns like hostile attribution bias and minimisation used to justify criminal behaviour.
(AO3) What evidence supports cognitive distortions in offenders?
Schönenberg & Justye (2014) — offenders more likely to interpret ambiguous faces as angry.
(AO1) What does Sutherland’s differential association theory propose?
Criminal behaviour is learned through interaction with others — people learn values, motives, and techniques of offending.
(AO3) What’s a strength of differential association theory?
Explains crime in all social classes and includes white-collar crime.
(AO3) What’s a limitation of differential association?
Hard to measure exposure to deviant peers; untestable.
(AO1) What is the psychodynamic explanation for offending?
Based on Freud’s theory — an overdeveloped or underdeveloped superego may cause criminal behaviour.
