3/24/25, 7:46 AQA A level Psychology - Forensics Flashcards |
AM
AQA A LEVEL PSYCHOLOGY – FORENSICS EXAM
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS WITH COMPLETE SOLUTIONS
VERIFIED
Terms in this set (68)
1) Top-Down (American)
Name the 2 types of offender profiling
2)Bottom-Up (British)
An analytical tool that is intended to help investigators accurately
What is offender profiling predict and profile the characteristics of unknown criminals
(what kind of person)
involves scrutiny of the crime scene and analysis of the evidence to
Outline the aims of top-down offender
construct a profile and hypothesis of the possible characteristics of
profiling
the offender and group them into 1 of 2 of the pre existing
categories (organised or disorganised)
1)[DATA ASSIMILATION] - the profiler reviwes evidence such as crime
scene photographs and reports or autopsy
2)[CRIME SCENE CLASSIFICATION] - organised vs disorganised (typology)
constructing an FBI profile -
3) [CRIME RECONSTRUCTION] - profiler hypothesises in terms of
DOUGLAS ET AL 2006
sequence of events and the behaviour of the victim profile
4) [PROFLE GENERATION] - hypothesis related to the likely
offender eg: background, physical characterstics etc..
- above average intelligence
- victims deliberately targetted
Describe characteristics of a organised - skilled
offender - planned crime
- little evidence at scene
- married
What is the profile used for Used to eliminated potential suspects and narrow down on the actual suspect
- history of social and sexual dysfunction
Describe characteristics of a - live alone close to crime scene
disorganised offender - attack is unplanned
- unmarried
FBI behavioural science unit
conducted indepth interviwes with 36 sexually motivated serial killers.
They classified them as either organised or disorganised. Offender
profilers used these typologies to construct profiles
Support for typologies
The distinction was based on the idea that serious offenders have a
'signature' which correlates with their social and psychological
personality traits
[ALWAYS MENTION THAT TYPOLOGIES ARE PRE EXISITING CATEGORIES]
- To generate a picture of the offender through systematic analysis
of the crime scene such as social background and characteristics
Outline the aims of the - more focus on scientific analysis and doesn't rely on subjective
bottom-up approach interpretations so can be applied to more crimes
- profile data emerges as investigator scrutinises details of the offence
and crime scene WITHOUT use of existing typologies
1/
6
, 3/24/25, 7:46 AQA A level Psychology - Forensics Flashcards |
AM
Name the 2 profiling approaches 1) geographical profiling
in the bottom-up 2)investigative psychology
The study of spatial behaviour in relation to crime and offenders. It focuses on
mapping location of previous crimes in order to establish a centre of
gravity (where the offender may live) or where their next crime may be
( jepardy surface)
What is geographical profiling
ROSSMO 1997
stated that an offenders operational base of possible future offences
are revealed by the geographical location of their previous crimes
(predictions)
1) [CRIME MAPPING] - plotting the locations of crimes to reveal
their spatial locations
2)[INFERENCES] - use the crime map to make hypotheses about the
offender and future possible crimes
3) [MODUS OPERANDI] - how the offender acts, transports or roads they use
4) [JEOPARDY SURFACE] - where different colours indicate the likely
Outline the key stages of geographical
hood of a future attack (computerised) - see next slide
profiling
5) [CIRCLE THEORY] - canter et al- proposed 2 models of offending behaviour.
People operate within a limited spatial mind set which created
boundaries in which crimes are likely to be computed "centre of
gravity"
MARAUDER - offender operates in close proximity to their home or
"centre of gravity"
COMMUTER - offender likely to travel distance from their home
Where the offender is likely to strike next
Jeopardy surface
Uses systematic analysis of all available details from the crime scene to
build a profile on the offender
- this is entered into a data base which speculates if further crimes are
What is investigative psychology committed by the same offender
- specific detail can be matched against the data base to other
offenders to reveal possible details of offenders lifestyle of family
- approach is more scientific
1) [INTRAPERSONAL COHERENCE] - assumption that the way and
offender behaves during a crime may indicate how they act in everyday
life (personality theory)
Outline the key points of investigative
2)[SIGNIFICANCE OF TIME AND PLACE] - may indicate where the
psychology
offender is living eg- within their centre of gravity
3) [FORENSIC AWARENESS] - awareness of who has been in police
attention before. Their behaviour may denote how mindful they are at
covering their tracks. Eg: less evidence at scene is increased likelihood
they have been in contact with police
- used geographical profiling to find
centre of gravity
- offender found to be marauder first
Outline DAVID CANTER on offender
then commuter
John Duffy
- used data base to link unsolved crimes
- used crime to make intrapersonal
coherence and eliminated 1999 out of
2000 suspects
2/
6
AM
AQA A LEVEL PSYCHOLOGY – FORENSICS EXAM
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS WITH COMPLETE SOLUTIONS
VERIFIED
Terms in this set (68)
1) Top-Down (American)
Name the 2 types of offender profiling
2)Bottom-Up (British)
An analytical tool that is intended to help investigators accurately
What is offender profiling predict and profile the characteristics of unknown criminals
(what kind of person)
involves scrutiny of the crime scene and analysis of the evidence to
Outline the aims of top-down offender
construct a profile and hypothesis of the possible characteristics of
profiling
the offender and group them into 1 of 2 of the pre existing
categories (organised or disorganised)
1)[DATA ASSIMILATION] - the profiler reviwes evidence such as crime
scene photographs and reports or autopsy
2)[CRIME SCENE CLASSIFICATION] - organised vs disorganised (typology)
constructing an FBI profile -
3) [CRIME RECONSTRUCTION] - profiler hypothesises in terms of
DOUGLAS ET AL 2006
sequence of events and the behaviour of the victim profile
4) [PROFLE GENERATION] - hypothesis related to the likely
offender eg: background, physical characterstics etc..
- above average intelligence
- victims deliberately targetted
Describe characteristics of a organised - skilled
offender - planned crime
- little evidence at scene
- married
What is the profile used for Used to eliminated potential suspects and narrow down on the actual suspect
- history of social and sexual dysfunction
Describe characteristics of a - live alone close to crime scene
disorganised offender - attack is unplanned
- unmarried
FBI behavioural science unit
conducted indepth interviwes with 36 sexually motivated serial killers.
They classified them as either organised or disorganised. Offender
profilers used these typologies to construct profiles
Support for typologies
The distinction was based on the idea that serious offenders have a
'signature' which correlates with their social and psychological
personality traits
[ALWAYS MENTION THAT TYPOLOGIES ARE PRE EXISITING CATEGORIES]
- To generate a picture of the offender through systematic analysis
of the crime scene such as social background and characteristics
Outline the aims of the - more focus on scientific analysis and doesn't rely on subjective
bottom-up approach interpretations so can be applied to more crimes
- profile data emerges as investigator scrutinises details of the offence
and crime scene WITHOUT use of existing typologies
1/
6
, 3/24/25, 7:46 AQA A level Psychology - Forensics Flashcards |
AM
Name the 2 profiling approaches 1) geographical profiling
in the bottom-up 2)investigative psychology
The study of spatial behaviour in relation to crime and offenders. It focuses on
mapping location of previous crimes in order to establish a centre of
gravity (where the offender may live) or where their next crime may be
( jepardy surface)
What is geographical profiling
ROSSMO 1997
stated that an offenders operational base of possible future offences
are revealed by the geographical location of their previous crimes
(predictions)
1) [CRIME MAPPING] - plotting the locations of crimes to reveal
their spatial locations
2)[INFERENCES] - use the crime map to make hypotheses about the
offender and future possible crimes
3) [MODUS OPERANDI] - how the offender acts, transports or roads they use
4) [JEOPARDY SURFACE] - where different colours indicate the likely
Outline the key stages of geographical
hood of a future attack (computerised) - see next slide
profiling
5) [CIRCLE THEORY] - canter et al- proposed 2 models of offending behaviour.
People operate within a limited spatial mind set which created
boundaries in which crimes are likely to be computed "centre of
gravity"
MARAUDER - offender operates in close proximity to their home or
"centre of gravity"
COMMUTER - offender likely to travel distance from their home
Where the offender is likely to strike next
Jeopardy surface
Uses systematic analysis of all available details from the crime scene to
build a profile on the offender
- this is entered into a data base which speculates if further crimes are
What is investigative psychology committed by the same offender
- specific detail can be matched against the data base to other
offenders to reveal possible details of offenders lifestyle of family
- approach is more scientific
1) [INTRAPERSONAL COHERENCE] - assumption that the way and
offender behaves during a crime may indicate how they act in everyday
life (personality theory)
Outline the key points of investigative
2)[SIGNIFICANCE OF TIME AND PLACE] - may indicate where the
psychology
offender is living eg- within their centre of gravity
3) [FORENSIC AWARENESS] - awareness of who has been in police
attention before. Their behaviour may denote how mindful they are at
covering their tracks. Eg: less evidence at scene is increased likelihood
they have been in contact with police
- used geographical profiling to find
centre of gravity
- offender found to be marauder first
Outline DAVID CANTER on offender
then commuter
John Duffy
- used data base to link unsolved crimes
- used crime to make intrapersonal
coherence and eliminated 1999 out of
2000 suspects
2/
6
