Forensic Psychology

• What is the main focus of forensic psychology for AQA level revision?

  To cover all the main content for the entire forensic psychology unit quickly.
• How long does it take to watch all forensic psychology videos on psycboost.com?

  About an hour to watch them all back to back.
• What are the two approaches to offender profiling discussed?

  • Top-down approach
  • Bottom-up approach
• What does the top-down approach in offender profiling involve?

  Creating pre-existing categories of offender types based on crime analysis.
• What is a modus operandi in the context of crime?

  A distinctive way that offenders commit their crimes.
• What are the two types of offenders identified in the top-down approach?

  Organized and disorganized offenders.
• How do organized offenders typically behave during a crime?

  They plan their crime, bring weapons, and tidy the crime scene.
• What characterizes disorganized offenders?

  They do not plan their crime and leave messy crime scenes.
• Who created the definitions of organized and disorganized offenders?

  Ressler in 1986.
• What did Snook (2007) find regarding criminal profiling?

  Major crime officers agreed it helps solve cases and is a valuable tool.
• What did Cancer (2004) conclude about disorganized features in serial killers?

  Disorganized features were rare and did not form a distinct type.
• Why is the effectiveness of offender profiling difficult to assess?

  It is never used in isolation; other forensic techniques are also employed.
• What is the bottom-up approach in offender profiling?

  An evidence-based approach using statistical analysis of crime scene data.
• Who developed the bottom-up approach?

  David Canter.
• What are the components of the five-factor model in investigative psychology?

  1. Interpersonal coherence
  2. Criminal characteristics
  3. Criminal career
  4. Forensic awareness
  5. Geographical profiling
• What does geographical profiling focus on?

  Where an offender is likely to be based, not on personal characteristics.
• What is the least effort principle in geographical profiling?

  The closest suitable crime scene to the criminal's home base is picked.
• What does the distance decay hypothesis suggest?

  Crimes radiate out from the offender's home base creating a circle.
• What did Canter and Lock (1993) find regarding British serial sexual assaulters?

  87 percent were marauders, supporting the circle hypothesis.
• What is a limitation of the bottom-up approach?

  It can be difficult to distinguish offenses by separate offenders.
• Why is the bottom-up approach considered more scientific than the top-down approach?

  It makes inferences based on statistical analysis from published research.
• What is a challenge faced by all profiling methods?

  Statistically abnormal offenders whose behavior does not match expected patterns.
• What historical approach did Lombroso take towards criminality?

  • Proposed the atavistic form theory
  • Suggested criminals are genetically more primitive
  • Claimed physical differences indicate criminality
• What physical characteristics did Lombroso associate with criminals?

  Asymmetrical faces, heavy brows, and large jaws.
• What did Goring (1913) find in his comparison of criminals and non-criminals?

  No physical differences were found when controlling for factors like age and class.
• What is the positive school of criminology's view on criminal behavior?

  It has distinct characteristics that can be measured to reveal causes.
• What is the criticism of Lombroso's research?

  It lacked a control group for comparison.
• What is the implication of the atavistic form theory?

  It suggests that criminality is innate and biologically determined.
• How does the concept of scientific racism relate to Lombroso's work?

  It claims that certain biological features can identify criminality, influencing racist policies.
• What is the issue with the attitude form in Lombroso's theory?

  It may confuse cause and effect regarding societal rejection and criminal behavior.
• What are the key components of genetic explanations for criminal behavior?

  • Inherited genotypes increase likelihood of criminal behavior
  • Family, twin, and adoption studies support genetic links
  • Gene candidates like the short variant of the MAOA gene linked to aggression
• What is the role of neurotransmitters in criminal behavior?

  An imbalance in neurotransmitters is linked to offending behavior.
• What did the meta-analysis by R.E. (2002) reveal about antisocial behavior?

  Genetics accounted for 41% of the variance, while environmental effects accounted for 59%.
• What did Brunner (1993) find in his case study of a family in the Netherlands?

  Five males had defective MAOA genes linked to impulsive aggression.
• What did Rain (2000) discover about individuals with antisocial personality disorder (APD)?

  They had an 11% reduction in prefrontal gray matter compared to those without APD.
• What are the criticisms of biological explanations for criminal behavior?

  • They are biologically determinist and socially sensitive
  • Genetic theories can justify discriminatory policies
  • They may overlook environmental factors like drug abuse and childhood trauma
• What are the key aspects of Eysenck's theory of criminal personality?

  • Based on three personality dimensions: extroversion, neuroticism, and psychoticism
  • Criminal personality is linked to inherited nervous system traits
  • Arousal influences behavior and propensity for offending
• What did McGurk and Double (1981) find regarding personality types in convicted inmates?

  A higher number of extrovert, neurotic, and psychotic personality types were found in the delinquent group.
• What is the dual taxonomy proposed by Moffitt?

  It distinguishes between life-course persistent offenders and adolescent-limited offenders.
• What did Digman (1990) suggest about personality dimensions in criminality?

  He proposed a five-factor model that includes conscientiousness and agreeableness.