PSYC2361 Episode 1 Study Guide: Criminal Profiling

This set of vocabulary flashcards covers core concepts, terminology, and key empirical studies from Episode 1 on Criminal Profiling, comparing the FBI and Investigative Psychology approaches.

Offender profiling

The process of inferring the likely characteristics of an unknown offender from information about the crime, victim, and location.

Criminal Investigative Analysis (CIA)

An experience-based approach developed by the FBI that moves from WHAT happened at the scene, to WHY it happened (motive), to WHO committed the crime (demographics and personality).

Investigative Psychology (IP)

A systematic approach to profiling that uses statistical analysis of solved crimes to identify associations between offender actions and characteristics, aiming for a transparent and peer-reviewed process.

Organised scene

A crime scene showing evidence of planning, the use of restraints, the use of a brought weapon, and the removal of evidence, often associated with a socially competent offender.

Disorganised scene

A crime scene showing little planning, the use of an improvised weapon, and evidence left behind, often associated with a socially isolated and lower-functioning offender.

Mixed scene

A crime scene containing both organised and disorganised features, which may be caused by victim resistance, situational disruption, or multiple offenders.

Modus operandi

The functional method or set of behaviours used to carry out and complete the offence; it is subject to change based on learning and situational circumstances.

Signature

Behaviour that is not necessary to complete the crime but serves to satisfy the offender’s psychological or emotional needs.

Staging

The deliberate alteration of a crime scene before the arrival of police, intended to mislead the investigation.

Interpersonal coherence

The principle suggesting that the way an offender interacts with a victim during a crime reflects their ordinary interactional style in non-criminal life.

Forensic awareness

Behaviours that indicate an offender has knowledge of police detection methods and has taken steps to avoid leaving or to remove physical evidence.

Expressive-impulsive theme

A homicide pattern identified by Salfati and Canter (1999) involving aggression directed at hurting the victim, often resulting in multiple wounds and injuries.

Instrumental-cognitive theme

A homicide pattern identified by Salfati and Canter (1999) involving planning and the deliberate concealment or removal of evidence and weapons.

Instrumental-opportunistic theme

A homicide pattern identified by Salfati and Canter (1999) where the offender uses the victim to obtain a goal such as property or sex, often targeting vulnerable victims.

Geographic profiling

A method used to estimate where an offender is likely to be based (home or work) using the spatial locations of a linked series of crimes.

Least effort

A principle of spatial behaviour suggesting that, where options are equal, people tend to choose the closer or easier destination.

Distance decay

The observation that the frequency of crimes generally decreases as the distance from the offender's home base increases.

Buffer zone

An area immediately surrounding an offender's home where they avoid committing crimes to minimize the risk of being recognized.

Mental maps

An individual's subjective representation of their environment, shaped by their daily routines, transport use, and familiarity with specific areas.

Marauder

An offender whose home base is located within the geographic area where their crimes are committed.

Commuter

An offender who travels away from their home base to a separate and distinct region to commit crimes.

Smallest Space Analysis (SSA)

A non-metric multidimensional-scaling technique that identifies themes by placing frequently co-occurring variables close together in a spatial plot.

Pinizzotto and Finkel (1990)

A study that found profilers were more accurate in a sexual offence case but showed no consistent superiority over non-profilers in a homicide case.

Salfati and Canter (1999)

An archival study of 82 solved British stranger homicides that used SSA to identify expressive-impulsive, instrumental-opportunistic, and instrumental-cognitive themes.

Canter and Larkin (1993)

A study of 45 British serial rapists that found 87% followed a marauder pattern and 91% lived within a circle defined by their crime locations.

Meaney (2004)

A study of Australian police records showing that spatial patterns vary by crime type, where only 35% of burglars but 93% of sex offenders were marauders.

Rossmo (2000)

An author of geographic profiling research who noted that approximately five distinct, linked locations are typically needed for a reliable geographic profile.