methods

Question 1

Paradigm

Answer 1

A set of shared assumptions and agreed methods within a scientific discipline

Question 2

Paradigm Shift

Answer 2

The result of a scientific revolution: a significant change in the dominant unifying theory within a scientific discipline

Question 3

Objectivity

Answer 3

When all sources of personal bias are minimised so as not to distort or influence the research process

Question 4

The `empirical Method

Answer 4

Scientific approaches that are based on the gathering of evidence through direct observation and experience

Question 5

Replicability

Answer 5

The extent to which scientific procedures and findings can be repeated by other researchers

Question 6

Falsifiability

Answer 6

The principle that a theory cannot be considered scientific unless it admits to the possibilty of being proved untrue (false)

Question 7

Theory

Answer 7

A set of general laws or principles that have the ability to explain particular events or behaviours.

Question 8

Theory Construction

Answer 8

Occurs through gathering evidence via direct observation (empirical method)

Question 9

Legalisation Definition of Crime

Answer 9

Any act that breaks the law warranting some form of punishment. However, there are cultural and historical issues with this definition as it varies within either time period and country.

Question 10

Ways of Measuring Crime

Answer 10

Official Statistics

Victim Surveys

Offender Surveys

Question 11

Official Statistics - Measurement of Crime

Answer 11

Figures Based on the numbers of crimes that are reported and recorded by the police which are often used by the government to inform crime prevention strategies.

Question 12

Victim Surveys - Measurement of Crime

Answer 12

A questionnaire that asks a sample of people which crimes have been committed against them over a fixed period of time and whether or not they have been reported to the police.

Question 13

Offender Surveys - Measurement of Crime

Answer 13

A self-report measure that requires people to record the number and types of crime they have committed over a specific period.

Question 14

Approaches To Profiling: Top-down approach

Answer 14

Organised Offender

Disorganised Offender

Question 15

The Top-down Approach

also known as the typology approach

Answer 15

Profilers start with a pre-established typology and work down in order to assign offenders to one of two categories based on witness accounts and evidence from the crime scene.

Question 16

Organised Offender

Answer 16

An offender who shows evidence of planning, targets the victim and tends to be socially and sexually competent with higher than average intelligence.

Question 17

Disorganised Offender

Answer 17

An offender who shows little evidence of planning, leaves clues and tends to be socially and sexually incompetent with lower than average intelligence

Question 18

Constructing an FBI Profile (detail)

Answer 18

Data Assimilation – the profile reviews evidence

Crime Scene Classification – either organised or disorganised

Crime reconstruction – hypotheses in term of sequence of events and behaviour of victim

Profile generation – hypotheses related to the likely offender (e.g. of demographic background or physical characteristics)

Question 19

Constructing an FBI profile (brief)

Answer 19

Data Assimilation

Crime Scene Classification

Crime reconstruction

Profile generation