Easy

Chapter 6: Investigative Psychology and Profiling

Investigative Psychology brings together recovery of investigative information, drawing inferences, and supporting police decision making through scientific research. Inferences about offender characteristics are made to identify him, like what type of persons commit specific crimes. Magnifying glass Behavioral features of crime help in investigation and prosecution. Example: A dead body with a knife in right hand and suicidal note; man was left-handed; wife stressed he was under mental stress while other sources said he was happy, leading to wife as suspect.

Approaches to Investigation

Two approaches to investigate a criminal case:

1. Clinical/Subjective Approach – traditional police profiling, emphasizes subjective processes like "thinking like the criminal."

2. Empirical and Logical Approach – based on empirical research and logical inference; covers full range of investigative activities, identifies behavioral features, and contributes to civilian and criminal investigations, from robbery to terrorism. Investigations use research findings and statistical analysis.

Investigative psychology determines empirically supported information regarding consistency and variability of offender behavior. Criminal investigation by forensic psychologists is like detectives' work, encompassing all ways psychology integrates with criminal investigation.

Steps of Criminal Investigation

Steps of criminal investigation:

  1. Determine if a crime has been committed.
  2. Verify jurisdiction and authority.
  3. Discover facts and collect evidence.
  4. Recover stolen property.
  5. Identify culprits.
  6. Locate and apprehend culprits.
  7. Aid prosecution with admissible evidence.
  8. Testify effectively in court.

Narrowly, investigative psychology identifies key crime features and likely offender characteristics – profiling – used to summarize psychological features and predict other crimes by same person.

Profiling

Profiling: psychological sketch of unknown criminal to narrow investigation to suspects with behavioral and personality features revealed by crime. It does not identify a specific suspect but gives a general biographical description. Profile sketch Basic components: probable age, sex, race, residence, intelligence, occupation, marital status, living arrangements, psychosexual maturity, type/condition of vehicle, motivating factors, arrest record, provocation factors, effective interrogation techniques.

Examples and Applications

Example – Profile of a Witch (Kramer & Sprenger 1971): elderly female beyond childbearing age, poor, lives on edge of town, knowledge of herbal medicines, Mark of the Devil, steals men's potency.

Prevent Terrorism: similar sketches used to prevent future crimes.

Computerized Profiling: e.g., USA airline CAPPS system identified 10 of 19 9/11 hijackers. Factors: one-way tickets, cash payment, travel alone, persistent patterns. Limitations: false positives, only traveling profile insufficient. Deeper profiling includes dressing, nationality, travel history, airport behavior, books, cultural/social background.

Hijacking epidemic (1968–1978) in US: 1968 – 36 hijackings (20 to Cuba), 1969 – 71 hijackings (58 to Cuba), 1970 – 69 hijackings. 1970s hijacker profiles: unsuccessful, socially inadequate, unsteady occupational patterns, lacking resourcefulness, helpless/hopeless, suicidal, desire for control. Modern terrorists do not fit old profiles – socially adequate, married, stable jobs.

Criminal Profiling: identifies offender or potential targets.

Geographic Profiling: predicts offender's likely location – home, work, social venues, travel routes.

Racial Profiling: police action based on race/ethnicity/national origin rather than behavior. Example: "Driving While Black" – pulled over based on race, stems from historical racism.

Limits of Profiling

Limits of Profiling: requires training and experience; cannot point to an individual with certainty; yields probability judgments. Old profiles fail due to changing terrorist types and acts; innocent people may be suspected; profiles may misguide (e.g., suspect profile 20-year-old black, actual offender 40-year-old white). Two major limits: individual differences, unpredictability.

Key Aspects and Types

Investigative Psychology
Drawing inferences from crime scenes, supporting investigations
Approaches
Clinical (subjective) vs. Empirical (research-based)
Investigation Steps
From crime determination to court testimony
Profiling Components
Age, sex, residence, motivation, etc.
Applications
Terrorism prevention, geographic, racial profiling
Limitations
Probability judgments, individual differences

Summary of Important Points

Aspect Description
Investigative Psychology Integrates psychology with criminal investigations
Approaches Subjective vs. empirical and logical
Steps 8 steps from crime verification to testimony
Profiling Psychological sketch to narrow suspects
Types Criminal, geographic, racial, computerized
Limits Not definitive, subject to errors
Easy