22186 Ol&BartolCh3 InvestigativePsychologyandOffenderProfiling

7/29/2019 22186 Ol&BartolCh3 InvestigativePsychologyandOffenderProfiling

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Introduction to

Forensic Psychology2ndEditionBartol & Bartol (2008)

Chapter 3

Police PsychologyInvestigative Psychology


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Investigative Psychology DEFINITION:The application of psychology to

criminal investigation.

Profilingone of the tasks often associated withinvestigative psychologyrequires sketching the

significant psychological and demographic features of aperson or persons.

Broadly defined, investigative psychology includesresearch and practice involving:

-Profiling -Risk Assessment-Police Line-ups -Interrogation-Polygraph Hypnosis -Other?-


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3 Questions

What are the important behavioral features of thecrime that may help identify and successfullyprosecute the perpetrator?

What inferences can be made about thecharacteristics of the offender that may helpidentify him or her?

Are there any other crimes that are likely to havebeen committed by the same person?


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CRIMINAL PROFILING

Background


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What is Criminal Profiling?

Criminal profiling is the process ofidentifying personality traits, behavioraltendencies, geographical location, anddemographic or biographical descriptorsof an offender (or offenders) based oncrime scene characteristics.


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Goals of Profiling

The primary goal of profiling is to narrowthe field of possible suspects.

Profiling is also a form of prediction -- theprofiler tries to predict who the offenderor offenders might be and where and how

the next crime may occur.


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Traditional investigative techniques oftenfall short in extreme cases.

A subset of offenses/offenders areconsidered most suitable for profiling --

What subset of offenders and why moresuitable for profiling??

Why Use Criminal Profiles in

Law Enforcement?


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Brief History of Criminal Profiling 1940s - First recorded use by psychiatrist Walter Langer

during WWII commissioned to construct a psychodynamicprofile of Hitler.

1957 - psychiatristJames Brussels worked with NYPD toconstruct a profile of the Mad Bomber.

1970s-1980s - FBI(Howard Teten, John Douglas, RobertRessler, Roy Hazelwood,and others) became involved inpsychological profiling and popularized the technique.

1990s 2003 - attempt (by David Canter, MauriceGodwin, Ron Holmes, Robert Keppel, Brent Turvey, KimRossmo and others) to scientize profiling and move thepractice beyond the purview of the FBI.


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The FBI Profilers Small/prominent group of FBI profilers helped to popularize

the term in 1970s in the Behavioral Science Unit -- calledthe National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime(NCAVC)since 1984.

Responsible for establishing the Violent CriminalApprehension Program (VICAP). Published CrimeClassification Manual, Sexual Homicide: Patterns andMotives and true crime novels.

Are known for the ORGANIZED/DISORGANIZEDtypologyand focus on M.O. and SIGNATURE.

Criticized for relying too much on intuition/faulty use of thescientific method.


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Is Profiling a Science or Profession? Profiling has not yet achieved the status of a profession. Factors

hindering professionalization:

Lack of consensus (on terms, approaches, training, appropriateexperience/educational background, etc.).

Practical issues (sensitivity and confidentiality of cases).

Ego/territorial issues.

Absence of uniform standards, practices, peer review, and ethics.

Small number (if any) of profiling positions where profiling is theprimary job description.

The notion (and acknowledgement among many profilers)thatprofiling is more art than science.


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Assumptions Made in the Profiling ProcessSee Holmes& Holmes (2001). Profiling Violent Crimes. Sage.

Crime scene reflects thepersonalityofthe offender.

M.O.remains similar.

Signaturewill remain the same.

Offenderspersonality will not change.


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The Organized-Disorganized Typology

Whether or not the crime scene is left ORGANIZEDor DISORGANIZED is said to provide informationabout the offenders criminal sophistication andpersonality.

Organized crime scene reflects offender whocommits crime out of a need for power. Motivationassociated with PSYCHOPATHY.

Disorganized crime scene reflects offender whocommits crime out of passion, compulsion,frustration, or anxiety. Motivation associated withPSYCHOSIS.


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Offense planned

Victim a targetedstranger

Victim personalized Controlled conversation

Crime scene reflectsoverall control

Demands submissive

victim

Restraints used

Aggressive acts prior todeath

Body hidden Weapon/evidence

absent

victim or bodytransported from scene

Associated withpsychopathy

The Organized Crime SceneSee Ressler, Burgess, & Douglas (1992) Sexual Homicide: Patterns and Motives. Free Press.


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The DisorganizedCrime SceneSee Ressler, Burgess, & Douglas (1992) Sexual Homicide: Patterns and Motives.

Spontaneous offense

Victim or locationknown

Depersonalizes victim Minimal conversation

Crime scene randomand sloppy

Sudden violence tovictim

Minimal use ofrestraints

Sexual acts after death

Body left in view Evidence/weapon often

present

Body left at death

scene Associated with

Psychosis


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Interview/Interrogation StrategiesSee Holmes & Holmes (1996) Profiling Violent Crimes. Sage.

ORGANIZED Direct confrontation

Respects competency

One-person interview

Dont expect freeinformation

No use of false evidence(are too sharp for this)

Conduct when suspect hasno time to gatherthoughts

DISORGANIZED Relationship motivated

Empathy

Constant stream of

conversation Use positive personal

relationship

Conduct at night


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Distinction Between

Psychopathy and Psychosis

PSYCHOPATHY Personality disorder made up of a particular constellation

of characteristics)

Lack of attachment, defect in affect, absence of anxiety In touch with reality

PSYCHOSIS

Clinical mental illness Schizophrenia May meet legal definition of insanity

Out of touch with reality


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Developed/oversimplified for use by lawenforcement professionals with little academictraining in criminology, psychology, and forensicscience and encourages unsophisticated

profiling.

Is a FALSE DICHOTOMY--few offenders/crimescenes it neatly into either type.

Other problems?

Criticism of the Organized/Disorganized

TypologySee Turvey (2002) Criminal Profiling. Academic Press.


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M.O. and Signature(See Douglas, Burgess, Burgess, & Ressler (1997). Crime Classification Manual.

Jossey-Bass; Keppel, R.D. & Birnes, W.J. (1997). Signature Killers. Pocket Books.

METHOD OF OPERATION (M.O.) How the offender committed the crime. Tells about the

experience of the offender and situational/contextualfactors involved in the crime.

SIGNATURE The behavior/expression of fantasy the killer mustleave

at the scene to satisfy emotional/psychological needs.Goes beyond whats necessary to commit crime andtells about the offenders psychological needs andmotivation.


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Factors that Shape M.O.

Trade/Professional Experience

Criminal experience and confidence

Contact with the criminal justice system

Media and pop culture

Offender Mood/Mental state

X-Factors (unknown/unplanned influences)


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Factors that Shape Signature

Personality/Psychopathology

Evolution of Fantasy


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Distinguishing M.O. from SignatureSee Turvey (2002) Criminal Profiling. Academic Press.

Signature and M.O. needs may besatisfied by the same behavior. Important

to remember thetwo most importantaxioms of criminal profiling:

Different offenders do similar things fordifferent reasons.

Offender behaviors can be the result ofmultiple motivations and/or externalinfluences.


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Static and Dynamic RiskSee Andrews & Bonta (2003). The Psychology of Criminal Conduct. Anderson.

Offender risk factors are static and dynamic. Areimportant in understanding M.O. and Signaturebehaviors.

STATIC RISK: Stay the same over time

DYNAMIC RISK: Change over time

Stable dynamic: change slowly over months or years

Acute dynamic: change rapidly over minutes or days.

What type of risk factors are M.O. and Signaturebehaviors?


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The Psychological Autopsy The Psychological Autopsy is an attempt to reconstruct the

personality profile and cognitive features ofdeceased. Thispostmortem psychological analysis is also called reconstructivepsychological evaluation and equivocal death analysis .

Psychological autopsies are important to:

Assist certifying officials to clarify deaths that are ambiguous, uncertain, orequivocal as to the mannerof death

Aid in investigation to determine insurance payments and national security issues.

To make a reasonable determination of what may have been in the mind of thedeceased person leading up to and at the time of deathparticularly if the deathappears to be a suicide

Psychological autopsies differ from criminal profiling in twoimportant ways: (1) the profile is constructed on a dead person, and(2) the identity of the person is already known.


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Geographical Profiling and Mapping

Geographical profiling refers to the analysis of geographicallocations associated with the spatial movements of a single serialoffender,

Geographical mapping is concerned with analyzing thespatial patterns of crimes committed by numerous offenders overa period of time. Geographical mapping focuses on identifying the

hot spots of certain types of crime.

In 1995, D. Kim Rossmo wrote a doctoral dissertation at Simon

Frasier Universitys School of Criminology on geographicalprofiling. Rossmo developed a computer program called CriminalGeographic Targeting (CGT). It is designed to analyze thegeographical or spatial characteristics of an offenders crimes.


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The Polygraph

The polygraphcommonly called the lie detectordetectspsychophysiological responses that accompany emotional reactions toguilt, shame, and anxiety through heart rate, blood pressure, breathingrate, and skin conductance.

In addition to observing the physiological measures, the skillfulpolygrapher makes behavioral observations and notations to infer truth ordeception in the subject being examined.

The polygraph can accurately measure and record the physiologicalresponses but it is unclear whether it can detect actual lying and

deception.


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INVESTIGATIVE PSYCHOLOGY AND

OFFENDER PROFILINGDiscussion Questions


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Discussion Questions:(Homant & Kennedy/B&B Supp Readings)

What are the major limitations in researching theeffectiveness of profiling?

Why Is Profiling So Inaccurate?

What direction do the authors of your readingsthis week (e.g., Homant & Kennedy) suggest weneed to go in terms of conducting research onprofiling? How do Homant & Kennedy define:

Offender Profiling Psychological Profiling Geographical Profiling Equivocal Death Analysis


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Discussion Questions:(Muller/B&B Supp Readings)

What two main approaches to profiling arereviewed in this article? Explain the

features of each.


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Discussion Questions:(B&B TextCh 3)

What might explain the popularity ofprofiling, despite the lack of evidence tosupport it?

What other applications of psychologicaltheory and research do the authors

suggest can be considered under theheading of investigative psychology?


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Discussion Questions ~ General:(B&B (Text)

Explain the significance of static and dynamic riskfactors in the prediction and profiling of humanbehavior.

Explain how the processes of a) unconscioustransference and b) own-race bias can affectidentification provided by eyewitnesses to anevent.

Forensic psychologists have offeredrecommendations to police in constructing line-ups. What are these recommendations? Uponwhat research findings are they based?

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22186 Ol&BartolCh3 InvestigativePsychologyandOffenderProfiling