Podcast
Questions and Answers
What is one strength of the top-down approach in offender profiling?
What is one strength of the top-down approach in offender profiling?
Which research suggests the organized-disorganized typology may be better understood as a continuum?
Which research suggests the organized-disorganized typology may be better understood as a continuum?
What was a significant limitation of the evidence base for FBI profiling?
What was a significant limitation of the evidence base for FBI profiling?
What was the main finding of Tina Meketa's study regarding top-down profiling?
What was the main finding of Tina Meketa's study regarding top-down profiling?
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What principle does the top-down approach primarily rely on?
What principle does the top-down approach primarily rely on?
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Which factor was NOT part of the analysis conducted by Canter et al. (2004)?
Which factor was NOT part of the analysis conducted by Canter et al. (2004)?
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What argument do situationist psychologists like Walter Mischel make regarding behavior?
What argument do situationist psychologists like Walter Mischel make regarding behavior?
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What type of crimes have critics argued top-down profiling is primarily limited to?
What type of crimes have critics argued top-down profiling is primarily limited to?
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Study Notes
Research Support for Top-Down Profiling
- Top-down profiling suggests a distinct organised category of offender.
- David Canter et al. (2004) analyzed 100 US murders committed by different serial killers.
- Smallest space analysis was used to assess the co-occurrence of 39 aspects of serial killings.
- The analysis identified a subset of features in many serial killings that matched the FBI's organised offender typology.
- This suggests validity for a key component of FBI typology.
Counterpoint
- Many studies suggest organised and disorganised types are not mutually exclusive.
- There are various combinations of characteristics found at crime scenes.
- Classifying killers into one category (organised or disorganised) might be difficult in reality.
- A killer might demonstrate several contrasting characteristics, such as high intelligence and competence, but still have a spontaneous crime with the victim's body left at the scene.
Wider Application
- Top-down profiling can be applied to other crimes, such as burglary.
- Some critics argue that this technique applies only to limited crimes like sexually-motivated murder, but;
- Tina Meketa (2017) suggests a 85% increase in solved burglary cases in three US states after applying top-down profiling.
- This expanded use adds new categories to the original method.
- These include interpersonal and opportunistic crimes.
Flawed Evidence
- Top-down profiling's evidence basis is weak, because;
- The FBI developed profiling using interviews with 36 murderers (25 serial killers).
- At the end, 24 were classified as organised and 12 as disorganised.
- Criticisms include a poor sample selection method, lack of random selection, and lack of a standard set of questions.
- The different questions per interview made results incomparable, suggesting a lack of scientific basis.
Personality Evaluation Extra
- Top-down profiling is based on behavioural consistency, assuming serial offenders have consistent behavior (modus operandi) across crime scenes.
- Profilers should link crime scenes to catch the offender.
- However, situationists dispute the concept of personality, arguing that behavior is largely driven by the situation.
- Walter Mischel (1968) argues that behavioural patterns at a crime scene may not reflect an individual's everyday behavior.
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Description
This quiz focuses on the concept of top-down profiling in criminology, examining its origins and the research conducted by David Canter et al. It also discusses the implications of organised versus disorganised offender classifications and their real-world applications. Test your knowledge on the key features and debates surrounding this profiling approach.
