Deck 5: Section 2: Criminal Profiling and Psychological Autopsies

Question 1

According to the text, profiling is regarded as a(n) _____ technique.

A) unvalidated
B) validated
C) research
D) biometrical

Answer 1

unvalidated

Question 2

Killers that can be described as carefully selecting their victims are referred to as:

A) disorganized killers.
B) serial killers.
C) stalkers.
D) organized killers.

Answer 2

organized killers.

Question 3

One of the characteristics thought to be indicative of childhood maladjustment has been identified among quite a few serial killers. It is:

A) cruelty to animals.
B) mental illness.
C) extroversion.
D) temper tantrums.

Answer 3

cruelty to animals.

Question 4

In a study examining the effectiveness and accuracy of profiling, police detectives indicated that the vast majority of profiles were _____ and they helped in solving _____ of the cases.

A) inaccurate; about half
B) inaccurate; less than 5%
C) accurate; the majority
D) accurate; about half

Question 5

Psychological profiling mostly relies on _____ of a particular profiler.

A) psychological education
B) clinical experience
C) intuition
D) psychic abilities

Question 6

Killers that tend to be more impulsive and select victims more randomly are referred to as:

A) disorganized killers.
B) organized killers.
C) stalkers.
D) impetuous killers.

Question 7

Which of the following is a correct statement?

A) Profiling has been extensively tested in scientific studies.
B) Research on profiling seems to prove its effectiveness.
C) Stories and case studies found profiling helpful to investigators.
D) There is very little systematic research on profiling.

Question 8

Many serial killers seem to prefer to use _____ methods of killing, such as _____.

A) intimate; strangulation or torture
B) intimate; guns or knives
C) distant; bombs or other explosive devices
D) distant; guns or poison

Question 9

Rational thinking, in serial killers, is often:

A) intact.
B) highly developed.
C) impaired.
D) dependent on the killer's age.

Question 10

When detectives were asked in a study about their views of profiling, most said they found it:

A) "helpful."
B) "accurate."
C) "overbearing."
D) "questionable."

Question 11

The process of drawing inferences about a suspect's personality, behavior, motivation, and demographic characteristics based on crime scene information is referred to as:

A) profiling.
B) characterization.
C) development of personality.
D) visionary types.

Question 12

In a study by Pinizzotto and Finkel (1990) comparing the accuracy of profiles developed by trained profilers with those of students, it was found that _____ created more accurate profiles _____.

A) students; across the board
B) profilers; but only for sex offenses
C) students; but only for murder cases
D) profilers; in all cases

Question 13

Profiles are created primarily for the purpose of:

A) aiding in understanding human nature.
B) developing some leads in the ongoing investigation.
C) studying criminal investigation techniques.
D) embarrassing investigators for pursuing wrong suspects.

Question 14

According to the text, _____ is considered to be the first individual to develop a criminal profile when working on the Jack the Ripper case.

A) Dr. Thomas Brussel
B) Dr. Thomas Bond
C) Dr. James Bond
D) Dr. James Heeley

Question 15

When assessing for common traits among stranger rapists, Mokros and Alison (2002) found that there was _____ among criminals who committed similar crimes.

A) no demographic resemblance
B) a great deal of similarity
C) a common theme in the motives for rape
D) a similar history shared by rapists

Question 16

The characteristics of serial killers seem to have _____ though there _____ common to all serial killers.

A) little similarity; are a few traits
B) some recurring patterns; are only two characteristics
C) a lot of similarities; are only two characteristics
D) some recurring patterns; are no characteristics

Question 17

Victims in a string of murder cases were all mutilated in a specific way, which makes profilers think of this feature as the _____ that may reveal something about the perpetrator's personality.

A) anchor
B) vision
C) signature
D) lead

Question 18

Most serial killers are _____ males of _____ intelligence.

A) African American; above average
B) African American; average
C) White; above average
D) White; average

Question 19

Holmes and Holmes (2010) have categorized serial killers into four types: visionary, mission-oriented, hedonistic, and power-oriented. Subsequent research showed that _____.

A) visionary killers are more common than hedonistic ones.
B) most serial killers have traits from different categories rather than just one category.
C) organized killers can only belong to either mission-oriented or power-oriented type.
D) stalkers can easily turn into either of the four types of serial killers.

Question 20

Many serial killings appear to have some level of:

A) religious overtures.
B) violent sexual fantasies.
C) violent sense of grandeur.
D) obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Question 21

The reliance on maps and mathematics to develop predictions about possible locations of future crimes is referred to as:

A) criminal profiling.
B) characterization.
C) geographic profiling.
D) the NASH system.

Question 22

According to the text, the attempt to examine the psychological state of an individual prior to his or her death is known as:

A) the NASH system.
B) geographic profiling.
C) psychological autopsy.
D) probative evidence.

Question 23

One of the most serious _____ of profiles is that _____ profiles may direct the police to look at the wrong suspects.

A) problems; misleading
B) uses; accurate
C) inconsistencies; correct
D) enhancements; additional

Question 24

Studies show that the basic assumption of profiling -- that particular crime scene characteristics are associated with particular personality types -- has been:

A) confirmed.
B) discredited.
C) confirmed for rape cases only.
D) confirmed for serial murder cases only.

Question 25

According to the text, some persistent problems with profiling include all of the following, EXCEPT:

A) no educational requirements for profilers.
B) no peer review of profiling techniques.
C) high frequency of the use of profiling.
D) lack of substantial research evidence of the validity of profiling.

Question 26

Alex is trying to figure out whether murders in three different states were committed by the same person. This process is referred to as:

A) case linkage.
B) psychological autopsy.
C) random speculation.
D) probative evidence.

Question 27

According to the text, the courts have been reluctant to allow expert testimony based on psychological autopsies. However, that is NOT the case in:

A) Jackson v. State of Florida (1989).
B) Sysyn v. State (2000).
C) Brown v. Board of Education (1954).
D) Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals (1993).

Question 28

As a rule, _____ approaches were found to be superior to _____ approaches.

A) geographic; statistical
B) psychological; statistical
C) psychological; geographic
D) statistical; intuitive

Question 29

In geographic profiling, an anchor point refers to:

A) a location from where attacks might be launched.
B) the area where an offender is least likely to commit crimes.
C) the last known area where the offender committed a crime.
D) one of a series of locations where the offender is believed to be hiding.

Question 30

The NASH system is utilized to classify:

A) probative evidence.
B) criminal typology.
C) causes of death.
D) profile data.