Forensics psychology

Question 1

Compare some characteristics of organised and disorganised offenders.

Answer 1

Organised
- Plans crime
- High degree of control
- Little/no clues left
- Socially and sexually competent
- High IQ
- Targeted victim
- Interested in the crime

Disorganised
- Literally the opposite

Question 2

(Dead Cows Rarely Poo)

What are the four main stages of the construction of a profile using the top-down approach?

Answer 2

Data assimilation
Crime scene classification
Crime reconstruction
Profile generation

Question 3

What are the two main aspects of the bottom-up approach?

Answer 3

Investigative psychology (creating a baseline for comparison)

Geographical profiling

Question 4

What is a commuter?

Answer 4

Someone who travels away from their base point to commit crimes.

Question 5

What is a marauder?

Answer 5

Someone who commits crime around a base point often their home.

Question 6

Explain spatial consistency.

Answer 6

The consistency of where crimes were committed.

Question 7

Explain what a modus operandi is.

Answer 7

The unique method someone uses to commit crimes.

Question 8

What did Canter and Heniage find?

Answer 8

Conducted an analysis of 66 sexual assault cases and identified common. behaviors, they also discovered that each assaulter has their own patter of behavior at the crime scene this helps establish case linkage and therefore shows that the bottom-up approach is useful and valid.

Question 9

What did Copson find?

Answer 9

He found that that advice provided by the profiler was judged to be ‘useful’ in 83% of cases but in only 3% of cases it led to accurate identification of the offender.

Question 10

Explain the Rachel Nichol case.

Answer 10

In 1992 Rachel Nickell was stabbed 47 times on Wimbledon Common and sexually assaulted investigation from the profiler led to police targetting Colin Stagg and the police had an undercover policewoman fake a relationship with him for 5 months to try and get a confession, in 2008 Robert Napper was convicted of the murder having been originally left out as he was several inches taller than the profile.

Question 11

Define Lobroso’s atavistic form.

Answer 11

Linking physiological features (largely facial features) to criminality, Lombroso argued it easy to spot criminals as they are not fully evolved, their savage and primitive nature would make it impossible for them to fit into ‘normal’ society.

Question 12

Give some main features of the atavistic form.

Answer 12

Whilst different types of criminals have different features the main ones are:
strong jaw, high cheekbones, facial asymmetry, sloping brows, and dark skin.

Question 13

What was the sample for Lombroso’s study?

Answer 13

383 dead criminals sculls, 3829 alive criminals

Question 14

Explain Lange’s reasearch into the biological explanation of offending.

Answer 14

Looked at 13 MZ and 17 DZ twins, 10 of the MZ had served time compared to only 2 of DZ.

Question 15

Research into 800 Finnish offenders found what two abnormal gene patterns?

Answer 15

MAOA- responsible for the breakdown of excess neurotransmitters.

CDH13- Linked to ADD

Question 16

Explain the use of mirror neurons and how they could be linked to offending.

Answer 16

Mirror neurons fire when we watch people engage in a specific behaviour e.g. watching someone cry we ‘feel their pain’ it has been argued that psychopaths cannot feel empathy and thus may not have mirror neurons.

Question 17

Explain Eysenck’s theory.

Answer 17

Eyseneck argued offenders have high Extraversion scores (E) and Neuroticism (N) scores, he later added Psychoticism (P).

Question 18

What are the three stages of Kholbergs moral reasoning?

Answer 18

Level 1: Pre-conventional (Reward/Punishment)

Level 2: Conventional (Pleasing others/Law and order)

Level 3: Post-conventional (Social contract/Principle)

Question 19

Explain the Heinz dilemma.

Answer 19

Heinz’s wife is dying of cancer and cant afford a life-saving drug, The chemist won’t let him get it, so he steals it.

Should he have stolen it?
Does the chemist have the right to charge what he likes?
If the person dying was a stranger would it make a difference?
Should police arrest the chemist if his wife dies?

Question 20

What is hostile attribution bias?

Answer 20

When a violent person is more likely to misinterpret the actions of others becoming confrontational.

Question 21

Explain Minimalisation.

Answer 21

An attempt to deny or downplay the seriousness of an offence, a burglar may simply explain their actions as doing a job.

Question 22

Explain how crime is learnt according to the Differential association theory

Answer 22

Like other behaviours being surrounded by pro-criminal attitudes

Time spent around pro-criminal attitudes.

Question 23

What are the 3 types of inadequate super-egos?

Answer 23

Weak superego
Deviant superego
Over-harsh superego

Question 24

Explain maternal deprivation theory (44 thieves).

Answer 24

Maternal deprivation when your mother was absent in the first few years and thus the criminal does not have a template for future relationships. This can lead to affectionless psychopathy.

Question 25

The 4 aims of custodial sentencing.

Answer 25

Deterrence, Incapacitation, Retribution, Rehabilitation

Question 26

What are the three stages of anger management?

Calm People Should Avoid Angry People

Answer 26

Cognitive Preperation
Skill Acquistion
Application Practice