Question 1

Define the term logical fallacy. Provide 2 examples of common logical fallacies in criminal profiling and the forensic discipline.

Accepted Answer

Logical fallacies are errors in reasoning that essentially deceived those whom they are intended to convince. They are brought about by the acceptance of faulty premises, bias, ignorance, and intellectual laziness.Examples of common logical fallacies in criminal profiling and the forensic discipline include: Suppressed evidence or card stacking, Appeal to authority, Appeal to tradition, Argument ad Hominem, or "Argument to the Man," Emotional appeal, Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc, or "After this, therefore because of this," Hasty generalizations, Sweeping generalizations, False precision.

Question 2

What is the most common logical fallacy because of its effectiveness?

Accepted Answer

A)  Argumentum ad hominem, or "argument to the man" 
B)  Appeal to tradition 
C)  Appeal to authority 
D)  Suppressed evidence or card stacking 
A)  Argumentum ad hominem, or "argument to the man" 
B)  Appeal to tradition 
C)  Appeal to authority 
D)  Suppressed evidence or card stacking A

Question 3

Which principle of logic may be used to argue for individually profiling particular crimes---that is, treating each case as an individual event, rather than as an extension of "similar" crimes?

Accepted Answer

A)  The principle of identity 
B)  The principle of the excluded middle 
C)  The principle of sufficient reason 
D)  None of the above 
A)  The principle of identity 
B)  The principle of the excluded middle 
C)  The principle of sufficient reason 
D)  None of the above A

Question 4

Case Study
Read the following criminal profile and answer the questions below.
The behavior at this crime scene indicates that the offender is a more mature male. We would expect him to be in his late 20s or early 30s at least. It should be noted that we mean the offender's emotional age, not necessarily his chronological age. Statistically speaking, absent any forensic or eyewitness evidence to the contrary, we believe the offender to be a white male. Most interpersonal violence is intra-racial. No suspect should be eliminated based on age or race alone. The FBI's Uniform Crime Report for 1998 the most recent edition) indicates for white female victims of homicide, white males were the offenders in 86% of the cases.
-Provide one disadvantage of this type of reasoning.

Accepted Answer

One disadvantage of the type of reasonin

Question 5

________is the process of argumentation and the science of valid thought and reasoning.

Accepted Answer

A)  Bias 
B)  Critical thinking 
C)  Metacognition 
D)  Logic 
A)  Bias 
B)  Critical thinking 
C)  Metacognition 
D)  Logic

Question 6

If an examiner's methods or results are influenced by the real or perceived expectations of his or her employer, this would be an example of ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  Observer effects 
B)  Context effects 
C)  Expectancy effects 
D)  All of the above 
A)  Observer effects 
B)  Context effects 
C)  Expectancy effects 
D)  All of the above

Question 7

The principle of sufficient reason may also be called the principle of causality.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 8

What are the 2 types of inductive arguments?

Accepted Answer

A)  Statistical and inductive generalization 
B)  Statistical and deductive generalization 
C)  Experiential and statistical 
D)  Experiential and probable 
A)  Statistical and inductive generalization 
B)  Statistical and deductive generalization 
C)  Experiential and statistical 
D)  Experiential and probable

Question 9

Which of the following is not a basic principle of logic?

Accepted Answer

A)  The principle of identity 
B)  The principle of the excluded middle 
C)  The principle of critical thinking 
D)  The principle of sufficient reason 
A)  The principle of identity 
B)  The principle of the excluded middle 
C)  The principle of critical thinking 
D)  The principle of sufficient reason

Question 10

If a hypothesis remains standing after a succession of tests or experiments fail to disprove it, then it may become a ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  Scientific principle 
B)  Scientific theory 
C)  Scientific fact 
D)  None of the above 
A)  Scientific principle 
B)  Scientific theory 
C)  Scientific fact 
D)  None of the above

Question 11

The scientific examiner is an imperfectly calibrated instrument.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 12

Scientific theories that withstand the test of time and study eventually become________ .

Accepted Answer

A)  Scientific knowledge 
B)  Scientific facts 
C)  Scientific principles 
D)  None of the above 
A)  Scientific knowledge 
B)  Scientific facts 
C)  Scientific principles 
D)  None of the above

Question 13

What are the two general categories of reasoning behind the criminal profiling process?

Accepted Answer

A)  Induction and deduction 
B)  Critical thinking and logic 
C)  Speculation and inference 
D)  None of the above 
A)  Induction and deduction 
B)  Critical thinking and logic 
C)  Speculation and inference 
D)  None of the above

Question 14

Outline the differences between inductive reasoning and deductive reasoning. Which category of reasoning is involved in behavioral evidence analysis?

Accepted Answer

An inductive argument is where the concl

Question 15

Which of the following is not a component of critical thinking?

Accepted Answer

A)  A set of skills to process and generate information and beliefs 
B)  The habit of using skills to guide behavior 
C)  The mere possession of a set of skills 
D)  All of the above are components of critical thinking 
A)  A set of skills to process and generate information and beliefs 
B)  The habit of using skills to guide behavior 
C)  The mere possession of a set of skills 
D)  All of the above are components of critical thinking

Question 16

Case Study
Read the following criminal profile and answer the questions below.
The behavior at this crime scene indicates that the offender is a more mature male. We would expect him to be in his late 20s or early 30s at least. It should be noted that we mean the offender's emotional age, not necessarily his chronological age. Statistically speaking, absent any forensic or eyewitness evidence to the contrary, we believe the offender to be a white male. Most interpersonal violence is intra-racial. No suspect should be eliminated based on age or race alone. The FBI's Uniform Crime Report for 1998 the most recent edition) indicates for white female victims of homicide, white males were the offenders in 86% of the cases.
-List two examples of qualifiers used in this profile. Statistically speaking, most, 86%

Accepted Answer

Statistica

Question 17

________is the cornerstone of the scientific method.

Accepted Answer

A)  Induction 
B)  Deduction 
C)  Falsification 
D)  Observation 
A)  Induction 
B)  Deduction 
C)  Falsification 
D)  Observation

Question 18

Deductive reasoning involves arguments whereby, if the premises are true, then the conclusions must also be true.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 19

Inductive arguments should contain qualifiers.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 20

Define the scientific method. List the 3 steps of the scientific method and provide an example that applies to each.

Accepted Answer

The scientific method is a way to invest

Exam 2: Criminal Profiling: Science, Logic, and Cognition

Define the term logical fallacy. Provide 2 examples of common logical fallacies in criminal profiling and the forensic discipline.

What is the most common logical fallacy because of its effectiveness?

Which principle of logic may be used to argue for individually profiling particular crimes---that is, treating each case as an individual event, rather than as an extension of "similar" crimes?

________is the process of argumentation and the science of valid thought and reasoning.

If an examiner's methods or results are influenced by the real or perceived expectations of his or her employer, this would be an example of ________.

The principle of sufficient reason may also be called the principle of causality.

What are the 2 types of inductive arguments?

Which of the following is not a basic principle of logic?

If a hypothesis remains standing after a succession of tests or experiments fail to disprove it, then it may become a ________.

The scientific examiner is an imperfectly calibrated instrument.

Scientific theories that withstand the test of time and study eventually become________ .

What are the two general categories of reasoning behind the criminal profiling process?

Outline the differences between inductive reasoning and deductive reasoning. Which category of reasoning is involved in behavioral evidence analysis?

Which of the following is not a component of critical thinking?

________is the cornerstone of the scientific method.

Deductive reasoning involves arguments whereby, if the premises are true, then the conclusions must also be true.

Inductive arguments should contain qualifiers.

Define the scientific method. List the 3 steps of the scientific method and provide an example that applies to each.

A History of Criminal Profiling

Alternative Methods of Criminal Profiling

Forensic Psychology, Forensic Psychiatry, and Criminal Profiling

An Introduction to Behavioral Evidence Analysis

An Introduction to Crime Scene Analysis

Forensic Victimology

Sexual Deviance

Sexual Asphyxia

False Reports

An Introduction to Crime Reconstruction

Crime Scene Characteristics

Interpreting Motive

Case Linkage: Offender Modus Operandi and Signature

Cyberpatterns: Criminal Behavior on the Internet

Fire and Explosives: Behavioral Aspects

Inferring Offender Characteristics

Psychopathy and Sadism

Sex Crimes

Domestic Homicide

Mass Murder

Serial Crime

Understanding and Interviewing Terrorists

Ethics and the Criminal Profiler

Criminal Profiling on Trial

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