Offender Profiling

• What are the two main explanations for criminality discussed in this forensic unit?

  Innate biological factors and learned behavior
• What does Freud contribute to the discussion of criminality?

  Freud offers insights into the psychological aspects of criminal behavior
• What is offender profiling?

  It involves making assumptions about an offender's characteristics based on crime analysis
• What is a modus operandi (MO) in the context of criminal behavior?

  It is a particular way an offender carries out their crimes
• What types of crimes are most likely to use offender profiling?

  Serious offenses like rape and murder
• When is a profile likely to be used in criminal investigations?

  When normal forensic techniques have not worked
• What does the top-down approach to offender profiling involve?

  It involves matching crime scene evidence to pre-existing categories of offenders
• What are the two approaches to offender profiling?

  • Top-down approach: Developed by the FBI, uses pre-existing categories (organized/disorganized).
  • Bottom-up approach: Developed in the UK, uses statistical analysis of crime scene data.
• How does the bottom-up approach differ from the top-down approach?

  It uses statistical analysis of data collected from crime scenes
• What is the significance of the terms top-down and bottom-up in psychology?

  They refer to different methods of processing information in perception
• What is the first stage of the top-down profiling process?

  Collecting all relevant data from the crime scene
• How are organized offenders characterized according to the FBI?

  They plan their crimes carefully and leave little forensic evidence
• What are some characteristics of disorganized offenders?

  They commit crimes impulsively and leave a lot of evidence behind
• What is the purpose of crime reconstruction in offender profiling?

  To hypothesize the sequence of behavior for both the victim and the offender
• What is involved in the profile generation stage of offender profiling?

  The profiler makes inferences about the offender's demographics and behavior
• What is a limitation of the top-down approach to offender profiling?

  The sample size of offenders interviewed is very small
• What did Canter find in his review of American serial killers?

  He found evidence for organization in most serial killings but not for disorganized offenders
• What is the five-factor model in investigative psychology?

  It interprets crime scene behavior to infer characteristics of the offender
• What does interpersonal coherence suggest about a criminal's behavior?

  How they interact with victims reflects their behavior with others
• What does forensic awareness indicate about a criminal?

  It suggests they have knowledge of forensic techniques and may have prior arrests
• Why is time significant in crime analysis?

  It provides insight into the criminal's mental map of their environment
• What is the least effort principle in geographic profiling?

  Criminals choose locations closest to their home base
• What is geographic profiling?

  It helps investigators narrow down search areas based on crime location
• What is the difference between a marauder and a commuter in criminal behavior?

  A marauder offends close to their home base, while a commuter travels to commit crimes
• What does the circle hypothesis suggest about an offender's home base?

  The offender's home base is likely within a circle drawn around their furthest offenses
• What evidence supports the circle hypothesis in geographic profiling?

  Canter found that 87% of British serial assaulters fit the marauding definition
• What is a limitation of the bottom-up approach to offender profiling?

  There is no way to know if a criminal is a commuter until they are caught
• Why is it difficult to assess the effectiveness of offender profiling?

  It is often used in combination with other forensic techniques
• What did Snook find regarding police officers' opinions on profiling?

  94% of Canadian officers agreed that profiling helped solve cases
• What is the Barnum effect in relation to offender profiling?

  It refers to vague statements that could apply to anyone being accepted as accurate
• What is a final evaluation of offender profiling?

  It may fail when trying to catch statistically abnormal offenders
• What is the next topic to be discussed after offender profiling?

  Biological explanations of offending behavior
• What is the focus of lesson two in forensic psychology?

  The bottom-up approach to offender profiling
• How does the bottom-up approach differ from the top-down approach?

  The bottom-up approach is data-driven and does not start with fixed typologies
• What is the aim of the bottom-up approach in offender profiling?

  To generate a picture of the offender through systematic analysis of evidence
• Who is most closely associated with the development of the bottom-up approach?

  David Canter
• What does the bottom-up approach emphasize in creating a profile?

  Creating a unique profile based on data from the crime
• What are the two methods associated with the bottom-up approach?

  • Investigative psychology
  • Geographical profiling
• What is the goal of investigative psychology?

  To establish patterns of behavior across crime scenes
• How does investigative psychology utilize data from crime scenes?

  By creating a database to compare details of future crimes