Advanced Forensic Psych Study Ch.1 - Fill In Blank

Flashcard 1
Q: What is criminal profiling?
A: Criminal profiling is identifying patterns of behavior and signatures in crimes to predict future offenses. It involves analyzing motives, patterns, and behaviors.

Flashcard 2
Q: What is "patternicity" in criminal profiling?
A: Patternicity is the tendency to find meaningful patterns and connections among unrelated events, which can lead to identifying criminal behavior.

Flashcard 3
Q: What is the difference between an expert witness and a fact witness?
A: An expert witness is paid, gives opinions, and is protected from perjury, while a fact witness is not paid, provides factual testimony, and can be charged with perjury.

Flashcard 4
Q: What is Modus Operandi (MO)?
A: MO refers to an individual's habitual way of committing crimes. It can evolve over time based on the offender's experience and knowledge.

Flashcard 5
Q: What is a criminal signature?
A: A criminal signature is a unique, symbolic behavior an offender leaves at a crime scene, often unconscious and tied to personal needs, such as a calling card.

Flashcard 6
Q: What is the Graduated Hypothesis Effect?
A: It refers to how investigators adjust their psychological hypotheses about a suspect’s behavior, motivations, or mental state as more information is gathered.

Flashcard 7
Q: What are static and dynamic factors in behavioral profiling?
A: Static factors are unchanging traits (e.g., race, ethnicity), while dynamic factors change over time (e.g., age, education level).

Flashcard 8
Q: What are typologies in criminal profiling?
A: Typologies classify criminal behaviors into groups based on factors like offender type, weapon use, and time of the crime.

Flashcard 9
Q: What is undoing in criminal behavior?
A: Undoing is when an offender tries to reverse or "undo" their crime, often due to guilt or panic, through actions like cleaning the body or rearranging it.

Flashcard 10
Q: What is staging in a crime scene?
A: Staging involves altering a crime scene to make it appear as something it is not, such as staging a murder to look like a suicide.

Flashcard 11
Q: What is the difference between trophies and robbery?
A: Trophies are items taken from victims as mementos to empower the offender, while robbery is the theft of items for financial gain without emotional attachment.

Flashcard 12
Q: What are characteristics of an organized crime scene?
A: Organized crime scenes are planned, controlled, and show minimal physical evidence. The offender is often educated and socially stable.

Flashcard 13
Q: What are characteristics of a disorganized crime scene?
A: Disorganized crime scenes are chaotic, emotional, and messy, with evidence of panic or remorse. The offender may have a lower IQ and engage in impulsive behavior.

Flashcard 14
Q: What is the difference between organized and disorganized crime scene examples?
A: Organized crime scenes involve planned crimes (e.g., arson, dismemberment), while disorganized crimes are chaotic and impulsive (e.g., random attacks, evidence left behind).

Flashcard 15
Q: What does a mixed crime scene indicate?
A: A mixed crime scene shows traces of both organized and disorganized elements, which could suggest multiple offenders or mental illness.

Flashcard 16
Q: What is paraphilia?
A: Paraphilia refers to persistent, atypical sexual interests or behaviors, often involving objects, activities, or situations.

Flashcard 17
Q: What is anthropophagy?
A: Anthropophagy is the act of consuming human flesh.

Flashcard 19
Q: What are characteristics of a mixed crime scene?
A: A mixed crime scene includes both organized and disorganized traits, indicating multiple offenders or the possibility of mental illness in the perpetrator.

Flashcard 20
Q: In an organized crime scene, what does the offender typically do regarding the body and the scene?
A: The offender may hand-select the victim, stage the body, and clean the scene to minimize evidence. They may also follow the news closely and try to assist in the investigation.

Flashcard 21
Q: What are some common behaviors in disorganized offenders?
A: Disorganized offenders may leave a lot of physical evidence, act impulsively, and show signs of emotional distress such as panic or overkill during the crime.

 

 

Psychological Autopsy

Q: What is a psychological autopsy?
A: A retrospective examination to understand an individual’s mental state before death, also called a "mental autopsy."

Q: What is anchoring bias?
A: A cognitive bias where judgments rely too heavily on the first piece of information, even if later evidence contradicts it.

Q: Why can a psychological autopsy be misleading?
A: Life patterns are fluid, and conclusions may not accurately reflect the situation.

Q: Why is studying the victim important in a psychological autopsy?
A: There is no offender without a victim, and understanding the victim provides insights into the offender.

Geographical Mapping

Q: What is geographical mapping?
A: Analyzing crime locations to reveal spatial relationships and patterns to understand the perpetrator.

Q: What is the purpose of geographical mapping?
A: To identify crime patterns and areas needing extra police presence.

Q: Who is a geoprofiler?
A: A forensic psychologist who uses crime locations to predict the offender’s likely base of operations.

Q: What are the four hunting patterns of offenders?

  • Hunter:

    • Operates close to home, stable, deliberate victim selection.

  • Poacher:

    • Transient, travels to find victims, opportunistic (e.g., truck drivers, traffickers).

  • Troller:

    • Random, impulsive victim selection, linked to mental illness.

  • Trapper:

    • Creates situations to lure victims, manipulative, uses their vocation.

Profiling

Q: Is profiling always accurate? Why or why not?
A: No, because behavior is fluid, and profiling is subjective and opinion-based, like art.

Extraversion vs. Introversion

Q: What are the key traits of extroverts?
A: Sociable, witty, aggressive, impulsive, risk-taking, unreliable, need high stimulation, ADHD/ADD tendencies.

Q: What are the key traits of introverts?
A: Quiet, cautious, reliable, avoid social activities and change, keep emotions private, punctual.

 

Profiling: Is It Always Accurate?

Q: Is profiling always accurate?
A: No, because behavior is fluid and opinion-based.

Q: Why is profiling not always accurate?
A: Behavior changes, it's based on opinions, and subjective interpretation (e.g., art).

Extraversion vs. Introversion

Q: What are key traits of extroverts?
A:

  • Aggressive easily

  • Sociable and witty

  • Risk-takers

  • Highly unreliable

  • Need stimulation and excitement

  • ADHD/ADD tendencies

  • Slow “pings” in the brain

Q: What are key traits of introverts?
A:

  • Cautious and reliable

  • Early to everything

  • Avoid change, excitement, and social activities

  • Keep feelings private

  • Quiet

Q: What is an ambivert?
A: Someone who has both introverted and extroverted traits (68% of people).

Killing Patterns: Extroverts vs. Introverts

Q: What are typical extrovert killing patterns?
A:

  • Gun, strangulation (hands), overkill

  • Intimidate and create fear

  • Charismatic (like Dahmer & Bundy)

  • Psychopaths who believe their own lies

Q: What are typical introvert killing patterns?
A:

  • Knife, suffocation, stabbing

  • Pathological liars

  • Poisoning (if small amounts)

  • Stewing in anger

  • Prefer soft weapons

  • Sociopaths who want to be psychopaths

Crime Types: Extrovert vs. Introvert

Q: Which crimes are usually committed by extroverts?
A:

  • Rape

  • Machine gun mass shootings

  • Daytime kidnapping (don’t care if seen)

  • Overt arson (“Look at me!”)

Q: Which crimes are usually committed by introverts?
A:

  • Child pornography

  • Poisoning (unless large amount)

  • Nighttime kidnapping (for concealment or raising the child)

  • Arson (used for hiding evidence)

Overt vs. Covert Behavior

Q: What are traits of overt individuals?
A:

  • Highly emotional (but unaware of it)

  • Angry, aggressive from early age

  • Lack of social cognition

  • Direct confrontation

Q: What are traits of covert individuals?
A:

  • Conceal emotions (aware of it)

  • Rely on cognitive ability and planning

  • Dishonesty and secrets increase with age

  • Escape punishments with strategy (e.g., crying)

Left-Brain vs. Right-Brain Thinking

Q: What are traits of left-brain thinkers?
A:

  • Organized, methodical, disciplined

  • Uses planners, thrives in truth-telling

  • Early or on time, highly reliable

  • Introverted and covert

  • Example: Bundy & Dahmer

Q: What are traits of right-brain thinkers?
A:

  • Disorganized, messy, undisciplined

  • Talks things out instead of planning

  • Unreliable, often late or forgetful

  • More emotional, extroverted, overt

  • Example: Eliane Warnos & Gacy

Q: Can people switch between left and right-brain thinking?
A: Yes! People can shift between the two.