FORENSIC PSYCH
Topic Name(s) Research
O ender profiling - Ressler Identified clear typology of organised and disorganised
Top down approach criminals
36 o enders interviewed including Ted Bundy
24 classified as organised and 12 as disorganised
Suggests there are distinct types of o ender behaviour
and aid apprehension
(W) 36 people is a small sample - cannot generalise to a
population, lacks population validity
(W) Self report technique is unreliable - low validity, the
o enders are very likely to lie in order to get shorter
amount of time in prison
O ender profiling - Canter Reviewed 100 serial killers analysing 39 aspects of their
Top down approach o ence
Found that disorganised features were rare but found
organised
False dichotomy between the two types and organisation
is typical of most killers
O ender profiling - Limitations Only useful in cases of murder and rape, especially when
Top down approach these are part of a series so its a limited way of
investigating crime as most crimes are not as serious as
these
It is not scientific, lacks clear theoretical basis and
di cult to test as it relies on subjective interpretation of
crime scene and unique experience of profiler
O ender profiling - Canter and Larkin 87% of sample of 45 british serial sexual assaulters
Bottom up approach identified as marauders
Supports the circle hypothesis and that the idea that
choice of place of crime is a significant factor in
o ending behaviour
(W) No way of knowing if criminal is a commuter until
they are caught or if o ences are recorded - limited use of
police resources
(S) More scientific than Top down approach
O ender profiling - Strengths Based on data and relies on statistical analysis and use of
Bottom up approach databases
(geographical This makes it objective and scientific
profiling) Geographical profiling is not limited to very serious
crimes, can be e ective in investigating property crime
too
By Rhea M.
, O ender Profiling Snook O ender profiling is never used itself, often di cult to
know the e ectiveness, usually use a range of
investigative techniques
Snook found 94% o cers agreed that o ender profiling
helps solves cases
(W) positive feedback is questioned by Alisson
O ender Profiling Alison Gave 2 groups of police detectives the same file, but each
group provided with details of 2 di erent o enders
In each group, when asked if profile was accurate, 75%
identified somewhat accurately and 50% said generally
accurate
Said it's because of Barnum e ect, statements are general
and vague, can apply to anyone so tricked into accepting
them as true
Atavistic form Lombroso Lombroso conducted scientific measurement of skulls on
convicts
Took data from criminals in Italian prisons an from skull
of dead criminals
He identified common features across criminals
Believed he could identify ‘born criminals’ and
distinguish them from those who commit occasional
crimes
(W) Did not have a control group so could not compare
the skulls to people who did not commit crimes, such
abnormalities could be due to lack of nutrition or mental
illness
(W) reductionist theory as it argues criminal behaviour
results entirely from your biological makeup
Atavistic form Goring Applied Lombroso’s theory in London
Compared biological measurements of 3000 criminals to
3000 non criminals
Used a control group so its more valid
Results of study: physical and mental construction of such
brains are identical in both types of people, there is no
such thing as anthropological criminal type
Atavistic form Scientific racism Claims biological features such as dark skin identify
criminality
Influenced racist policies and eugenics (force people to
stop having children if genetically unfit)
Not socially sensitive research - causes harmful and
damaging stereotypes to black communities
Lack objectivity in research
By Rhea M.
Topic Name(s) Research
O ender profiling - Ressler Identified clear typology of organised and disorganised
Top down approach criminals
36 o enders interviewed including Ted Bundy
24 classified as organised and 12 as disorganised
Suggests there are distinct types of o ender behaviour
and aid apprehension
(W) 36 people is a small sample - cannot generalise to a
population, lacks population validity
(W) Self report technique is unreliable - low validity, the
o enders are very likely to lie in order to get shorter
amount of time in prison
O ender profiling - Canter Reviewed 100 serial killers analysing 39 aspects of their
Top down approach o ence
Found that disorganised features were rare but found
organised
False dichotomy between the two types and organisation
is typical of most killers
O ender profiling - Limitations Only useful in cases of murder and rape, especially when
Top down approach these are part of a series so its a limited way of
investigating crime as most crimes are not as serious as
these
It is not scientific, lacks clear theoretical basis and
di cult to test as it relies on subjective interpretation of
crime scene and unique experience of profiler
O ender profiling - Canter and Larkin 87% of sample of 45 british serial sexual assaulters
Bottom up approach identified as marauders
Supports the circle hypothesis and that the idea that
choice of place of crime is a significant factor in
o ending behaviour
(W) No way of knowing if criminal is a commuter until
they are caught or if o ences are recorded - limited use of
police resources
(S) More scientific than Top down approach
O ender profiling - Strengths Based on data and relies on statistical analysis and use of
Bottom up approach databases
(geographical This makes it objective and scientific
profiling) Geographical profiling is not limited to very serious
crimes, can be e ective in investigating property crime
too
By Rhea M.
, O ender Profiling Snook O ender profiling is never used itself, often di cult to
know the e ectiveness, usually use a range of
investigative techniques
Snook found 94% o cers agreed that o ender profiling
helps solves cases
(W) positive feedback is questioned by Alisson
O ender Profiling Alison Gave 2 groups of police detectives the same file, but each
group provided with details of 2 di erent o enders
In each group, when asked if profile was accurate, 75%
identified somewhat accurately and 50% said generally
accurate
Said it's because of Barnum e ect, statements are general
and vague, can apply to anyone so tricked into accepting
them as true
Atavistic form Lombroso Lombroso conducted scientific measurement of skulls on
convicts
Took data from criminals in Italian prisons an from skull
of dead criminals
He identified common features across criminals
Believed he could identify ‘born criminals’ and
distinguish them from those who commit occasional
crimes
(W) Did not have a control group so could not compare
the skulls to people who did not commit crimes, such
abnormalities could be due to lack of nutrition or mental
illness
(W) reductionist theory as it argues criminal behaviour
results entirely from your biological makeup
Atavistic form Goring Applied Lombroso’s theory in London
Compared biological measurements of 3000 criminals to
3000 non criminals
Used a control group so its more valid
Results of study: physical and mental construction of such
brains are identical in both types of people, there is no
such thing as anthropological criminal type
Atavistic form Scientific racism Claims biological features such as dark skin identify
criminality
Influenced racist policies and eugenics (force people to
stop having children if genetically unfit)
Not socially sensitive research - causes harmful and
damaging stereotypes to black communities
Lack objectivity in research
By Rhea M.
