P3: Forensics Flashcards
What are the four parts in forensics?
-Offender Profiling
-Biological Ex
-Psychological Ex
-Dealing w/ OB
Offender Profiling
A behavioural/ analytical tool intended to help investigators of crimes
-Predicts and profiles characteristics of unknown criminals
What are the two types of offender profiling
-Top down/ typology approach
-Bottom up approach
What is the top down approach based on?
Data from in-depth interviews of 36 sexually motivated serial killers
What did the top down approach come up with from the in-depth interviews of 36 serial killers?
Pre-existing template of murderers and rapists
Top down: What is the pre-existing template used for? What does it tell us?
Profiler goes to crime scene and matches what’s known about crime and offender to template
-This tells us what type of person we’re looking for
According to the top down approach what are the categories of murderers and rapists?
-Disorganised
-Organised
What does bottom up approach involve?
Systematic analysis of a crime scene to inform investigators of an offenders likely characteristics
What are the two examples of bottom up profiling?
-Investigative psychology
-Geographical profiling
In bottom up approach, what is investigative psychology?
Where investigator matches details from crime with statistical analysis of typical offender behaviour patterns
-Match on a data base
In bottom up approach, what is geographical profiling?
-Mapping out locations and times when crimes have occurred
-Used in conjunction w/ investigative psychology to identify MO of criminal
What are the 3 biological explanations of offending behaviour?
-Atavistic Form Theory
-Genetic
-Neural
7 key points of Atavistic Theory of OB
-Put forward by Lombroso, argues criminals are genetic throwbacks+biologically diff to non criminals
-They find it difficult to adjust to demands of civilised society so turn to crime=crim behav is atavistic
-Criminals can be identified as they have distinguishable facial features (which are biologically determined)
-Criminals OTW have narrow brows and strong jaws and facial asymmetry
-More likely to have dark skin and extra fingers/toes/nipples
-Lombroso went to catergorise certain types of criminals eg murderers=bloodshot eyes and long ears, fraudsters=thin lips
-OTW OB due to atavistic characteristics
7 key ideas of genetic explanation of OB
-OB is in the genes
-Genes consist of DNA which produces instructions
-They’re transmitted from parent to offspring thus OB is inherited
-Certain candidate genes identified
-eg MOAO gene + CDH13 gene
-Psychologists research genetic links using: family studies, twin studies and adoption studies
-OTW OB is in the genes
7 key points of Neural explanation of OB
-Biological Approach, reason why criminals don’t have empathy is due to neural differences
-Investigated individuals w/ ADP (anti social personality disorder) ADP= associated w reduced emotional response n lack of empathy
-Linked to prefrontal cortex
-Individuals w ADP had reduced activity in prefrontal cortex
-Prefrontal cortex regulates emotional behaviour
-ADP can switch empathy in and off
-OTW OB is due to neural differences
What are the 4 psychological explanations for OB
-Psychodynamic
-Cognitive
-Differential Association
-Eysenck Personality Theory
What are the 2 parts that make up the psychodynamic explanations
-Superego
-MDT (maternal dep)
7 Key points of psychodynamic superego part of OB
-Blackburn put forward the idea that inadequate superego as an explanation for OB
-If SE is inadequate/deficient then OB is inevitable
-As id is given free rein and not controlled
-3 types of inadequate SE : weak SE, deviant SE + overharsh SE
-Weak SE occurs if same sex parent is absent in childhood, child cant fully internalise a fully formed SE
-Deviant SE occurs if SE the child internalises has deviant/ immoral values
-Overharsh SE occurs when SE internalised is excessively punitive, individual is crippled by guilt leading to them performing criminal acts to satisfy SE
6 Key points of psychodynamic MDT (maternal dep) part of OB
-MD hypothesis comes from Bowlbys work
-Bowlby argued that the ability to form meaningful rel in adulthood was dependent on the child forming a warm continuous rel w a mother figure
-Failure to establish this bond during the critical period (30 months) means child will develop affectionless psychopathy
-A personality type characterised by lack of guilt and empathy
-Maternally deprived individuals are likely to engage in acts of delinquency
-Bowlby supported this with his own investigation of 44 thieves study
8 Key points of Learning theory: DIff Ass (Sutherland)
-Aimed for a scientific theory allowing us to predict criminality, people are socialised into becoming criminals
-Learned rather than innate, learning takes places through association w others
-Most of such learning is through ass w close family and friends, as when a person is socialised into a group theyll be exposed to the values of the group
-Some values can be procrime, some anticrime. If number of pro crime attitudes outweigh number of anti person will offend
-Therefore can mathematically predict who will commit crime
-Learning can take place through observation or direct tuition
-This explains why crime breeds in certain areas and why criminals reoffend
-OTW diff ass argues OB is learned from other people
Main argument for cognitive exp for OB
OB caused by the way people think, criminals think in a diff way to non criminals
2 elements of cog exp for OB
-Levels of moral reasoning
-Cognitive distortions
5 Key points of level of moral reasoning in cog ep for OB
-Argues moral development happens in stages , 6 stages
-Argues criminals are at a lower level of moral reasoning, they’re at the preconventional level
-Similar to childlike reasoning- moral compass not developed
-Therefore criminals will commit crimes if they get away with it or gain rewards eg money and respect etc
-These types of people tend to e self centred and inconsiderate
4 Key points of cog distortions in cog exp of OB
-Error or bias in thinking, interpreting something in an inaccurate way
-Examples:
-Criminals tend to have hostile attribution bias; misinterpreting actions of others by assuming they’re being confrontational when they’re not triggering a violent response
-Minimalization: downplaying seriousness of an offence, giving a euphemistic label eg individuals who commit sex offences are particularly prone to this
