1
Q
What is criminal profiling
A
its the creation of a psychological sketch of a suspect based on clues, not ID of specific person
2
Q
What does profiling help investigators do
A
its help ID characteristics and patterns, in order to narrow the field of suspects
3
Q
Why is prediction in profiling so low
A
becuase base rates are low, crimes like serial offenses are rare
4
Q
What is a risk of profiling
A
it can lead to false positives
5
Q
explain main dillemas in profiling
truth vs resolving conflict
individual rights vs societies rights
A
- truth vs. resolving conflict — finding accurate information about suspects without worsening bias or social tension.
-individual rights vs. society’s rights, such as when protecting public safety may come at the cost of unfairly targeting certain groups (e.g., ethnic profiling after 9/11).
6
Q
What defines a multiple homiside
A
killing 4 or more victims at the same time or sequencially
7
Q
What is a mass murderer
A
kills 4 plus victims in one location within a view hours
- often caught or dies on site
8
Q
What is a spree killer
A
kills 2+victims in 2+ locations over hours or days with no cooling off period
9
Q
What is a serial murder
A
kills 4 plus victims on seprate occasions with a cooling off period between murders
10
Q
typical demographics of serial kills are their victims
gender, employment, marriage?
A
usually white males killing white females both in their 30s
1/2 employed
1/3 married
11
Q
How are serial murders typically carried out
A
well planned, occur over large area, sexaully motivated
12
Q
some behavioral traits of serial killers are
A
stage crime scenes, keep tokens from victims, often can appear normal or charming
13
Q
Is profiling often helpful
A
yes, can lead to investigators to suspects
14
Q
has profiling been rigorously tested
A
not fully, research is limited, but profilers preform better than other options in accurate, detailed predictions
15
Q
What parts of profiling have some proof of being accurate?
* If the suspect _________the victim
* Whether the crime was _______ or ________
* If there was one or more _______
A
- If the suspect knew the victim
- Whether the crime was organized or disorganized
- If there was one or more offenders
16
Q
Why did profiling work in the Metesky case (the “Mad Bomber”)?
A
- meteskys letters gave strong psych and bahvaioral clues
- crimes were consistent adn targeted one person
- evidence was deep and consistent
17
Q
Why did profiling fail in the boston strangler case
The profile didnt ______
The crimes didnt all _______
Police ________ the profile
A
The profile didn’t fit the real suspect
The crimes didn’t all fit one profile
Police overtrusted the profile
18
Q
How accurate are most people at detecting lies
A
about 50 percent
19
Q
what is truth bias
A
its the tendency to belive others are telling the truth and accept statements at face value
20
Q
which professionals are best at detecting decptions
A
secret service agents above change in studies
21
Q
what common behaviors are not realiable indicators of lying
A
avoiding eye contact
fidgiting
nonverbal cues
22
Q
What verbal cues are linked with truthfullness
A
-giving more detail
-lower pitch voice
-fewer speech errors
- consistent story even understress
-can answer unexpected questions easily
23
Q
What does a polygraph measre
A
measures physiological responses like heart rate, BP, breathing rate and sweating
24
Q
Why is polygraph unrealiable
A
these physiological responses can also occur in other circumstances like anger, fear and such
25
how accurate is apolygraph
true around 65%
26
issues with polygraph testing
false positives
people can find ways to cheat
27
What was the sig of FRYE vs US
The court said _________ evidence (like lie detector tests) can only be used in court if most _____________ accept it, even if it’s not 100% __________
The court said scientific evidence (like lie detector tests) can only be used in court if most experts in that field accept it, even if it’s not 100% reliable.
28
whats the best use for a polygraph
in the investigation phase, not in court
29
What does fMRI measure for lie detection
measures blood flow and o2 use in brain areas linked to execututive functions
30
how accurate is FMRI lie detection
76 to almsot 90 percent
31
brain fingerprinting
measures brain wave responses to infoormation to see if the brain recognizes crime related details
32
how accurate is brain fingerprinitg
58-95, drops in realistic crime scenarios
33
Are fMRI and brain fingerprinting admissible in court?
No, neither method is generally accepted as court evidence yet.
34
Where, what state is polygraph evidence routinely admitted?
Only in New Mexico; most courts do not admit it, and the US Supreme Court barred it in military courts.`
35
How do jurors treat polygraph results in mock trials?
They put little faith in polygraph results, relying more on eyewitness testimony.
36
Can employers use polygraphs for hiring?
No — Congress prohibits polygraph use in employment screening for most jobs.
37
Why do people confess to crimes they didn’t commit?
Due to coercion, fear, misunderstanding, or psychological pressure during interrogation.
38
What was the significance of Miranda v. Arizona (1966)?
Ernesto Miranda’s confession was coerced; Supreme Court ruled in-custody confessions must be voluntary and individuals must be informed of their rights (Miranda warning).
39
What makes an in-custody confession admissible?
* Must be voluntary
* Miranda warning given
* Rights of the individual are protected
* Must not be coerced after waiving rights
40
How has Miranda been weakened over time?
- A confession taken illegally can still be used later to show the person was lying if they claim innocence.
* Confessions count even if the suspect didn’t fully understand their rights (like minors or mentally disabled people).
* You must clearly ask for a lawyer to stop questioning.
* Miranda rights don’t apply if you’re not in custody or not being interrogated.
* Police can lie about evidence or facts, but not about your rights.
* There’s a public safety exception (like in New York v. Quarles, 1984) — if someone’s in immediate danger, police can question without Miranda warnings.
41
How do vulnerable individuals handle Miranda rights?
Many juveniles, mentally ill, or MR individuals waive their rights without understanding them — up to 90% of juveniles.
42
How common are false confessions among DNA-exonerated individuals?
About 1/5–1/4 gave false confessions; 1/3 of these were juveniles
43
How can you tell a confession is invalid?
* Crime didn’t happen (victim alive)
* Suspect physically couldn’t have done it
* Objective or scientific evidence (e.g., DNA) proves someone else did it
44
Q: What are the three main errors in interrogation that lead to false confessions?
1. Misclassification Error – innocent person wrongly suspected
2. Coercion Error – psychological pressure forces confession
3. Contamination Error – interrogator leads suspect to “right” answers
45
Misclassification Error –
innocent person wrongly suspected
46
Coercion Error
psychological pressure forces confession
47
Contamination Error
interrogator leads suspect to “right” answers
48
Who is most susceptible to waiving Miranda or false confessions?
Juveniles, cognitively impaired, fatigued, intoxicated
* High anxiety, low self-esteem, low assertiveness
* Low social intelligence, poor memory, eager to please, avoid conflict
49
Why do innocent people waive Miranda rights?
They believe innocence is enough to protect them; often waive rights or decline attorney.
50
What are compliant false confessions?
Confessions made knowingly to gain benefits, like:
* Stop interrogation
* Go home
* Sleep or leniency
51
What are internalized false confessions?
Suspect comes to believe they actually committed the crime due to:
* Confusion over memory (source misattribution)
* Being asked to hypothesize or given info about crime
* Pseudomemories formed from interrogation
52
What is the Classical school of criminology?
Crime arises from sin, hedonism, free will, and social contract flaws; punishment should fit the crime.
53
What is the Positivist school of criminology?
crime arises from social, biological, psychological, and environmental factors; uses the scientific method and foreshadows rehabilitation and indeterminate sentencing.
54
What are structural sociological theories of crime?
Crime results from
Crime results from
-social inequalities and lack of opportunity (money, culture, education),
-anomie
-failure of legal means to achieve goals.
55
What is “anomie”?
Social instability caused by erosion of values, leading to alienation and purposelessness; linked to crimes like school shootings.
⸻
`
56
What are flaws of structural theories?
People with risk factors don’t always commit crimes, and people without them sometimes do — so the theories can’t explain all criminal behavior.
57
What are subcultural sociological theories of crime?
Crime arises from being a part of a group with norms that.....
Crime arises from being part of a group with norms conflicting with society (e.g., gangs);
lower SES groups may have norms like toughness or thrill-seeking.
58
What are flaws of subcultural theories?
doesnt explain crimbes by..
Can we really say Socioeconomic status groups have distinct criminal norms?
* Doesn’t explain crimes by wealthy individuals
⸻
59
What are concordance rates?
how often relatives share a trait — higher rates mean it’s likely genetic, lower rates mean environmental.
60
How much genetic material do different relatives share?
Monozygotic twins:
Dizygotic twins:
1st-degree siblings:
Monozygotic twins: 100%
Dizygotic twins: 50%
1st-degree siblings: 50%
61
What do twin/adoption studies show about crime?
Genetics may _________ risk for violent crime.
Criminal bio parents → adopted son ____ more likely to commit crime
Genetics may increase risk for violent crime.
Criminal bio parents → adopted son 4X more likely to commit crime
More than adoptive parent’s criminality (2X more likely)
62
How do IQ and attention relate to criminal behavior?
Low IQ and poor attention in childhood=
Low IQ and poor attention in childhood → higher chance of criminal behavior later
63
What is the Autonomic nervous system difference in criminals?
Low arousal which leads to...
Low arousal → less scared of punishment, more risk-taking
64
Other body differences linked to crime?
_______ serotonin
_______ testosterone (not conclusive)
_________insulin
* Low serotonin
* High testosterone (not conclusive)
* High insulin
65
How does personality affect crime?
Traits like impulsivity and low frustration tolerance can be inherited and increase crime risk
66
What does the psychoanalytic theory say about crime?
crime comes from poor control of the __ by the _____ and ____
Attachment problems in childhood can lead to ----
Crime comes from poor control of the id by the ego and superego; attachment problems in childhood can lead to delinquency.
67
What are criminal thinking patterns?
Criminals feel ______ and ______ from society
Criminals feel irresponsible and different from society; they choose to act that way, not because of outside factors.
68
What personality disorders are linked to crime?
ASPD (Antisocial Personality Disorder
Psychopathy
69
What is Factor 1 of the Psychopathy Checklist–Revised?
- Interpersonal and affective traits:
Glib, charming, liar, manipulative
* Lacks remorse/empathy, shallow emotions, avoids responsibility
70
What is Factor 2 of the PCL-R?
- Lifestyle and antisocial traits:
like being impulsive, irresponsible, thrill-seekinh
71
Are all psychopaths criminal or aggressive?
No — they may not commit crimes or be aggressive.`
72
Q: What executive function differences are seen in psychopaths?
They often have poor planning, decision-making, and impulse control.
73
What is the stimulation-seeking theory?
Psychopaths are underaroused and need high stimulation, which may drive risk-taking or criminal acts.
74
How do dysfunctional families affect psychopathy?
Cold/distant parenting-
Inconsistent award or punishment-
Cold/distant parenting → detachment, low empathy, superficiality
Inconsistent reward/punishment → avoids blame but lacks moral development
75
What do control theories say about human behavior?
people are naturally..
People are naturally antisocial, and social controls or training are needed to prevent crime.
76
What is containment theory? (what prevents antisocial behaviors)
External social controls (laws, rules, supervision) prevent antisocial behavior, not just internal conscience.
77
Heredity+ socialization determine ________behavior.
Antisocial
78
How does operant conditioning explain criminal behavior?
Behaviors that are _______ are repeated. Crimes often have __________ ____________, while punishments are ________, making crime more likely.
Behaviors that are rewarded are repeated. Crimes often have immediate rewards, while punishments are delayed, making crime more likely.
79
How does classical conditioning explain criminal behavior?
People develop ________ by associating actions with rewards or punishments, shaping their __________.
People develop conscience by associating actions with rewards or punishments, shaping their behavior.
80
What is differential association reinforcement theory (Skinner)?
Crime is learned when rewards for illegal behavior outwiegh ___________.
Repetition and social reinforcement ___________ criminal behavior.
Crime is learned when rewards for illegal behavior outweigh punishments. Repetition and social reinforcement increase criminal behavior.
81
What is social learning theory (Bandura)?
Most behaviors, including aggression, are learned by observing others, modeling actions, and reinforcement.
82
What influences aggression according to social learning theory?
A: Aggression develops from:
Family-
subculture-
media-
* Family: punishment, conflict resolution
* Subculture: criminal norms rewarded
* Media: exposure to violent role models
83
What was the historical composition of juries?
Originally well-educated white men only. Laws like the Jury Selection and Service Act (1968) now require more representative juries.
84
Why are diverse juries important?
Studies show they are better at fact-finding, problem-solving, and reflecting community perspectives.
85
How do courts make jury pools more representative?
Include lists from driver’s licenses, state IDs, public assistance, not just voter registration, and limit exemptions.
86
What is voir dire?
The process of questioning potential jurors to find biases and exclude unsuitable jurors.
87
What are problems with limited voir dire?
Jurors may:
* Give socially desirable answers
* Misinterpret questions
* Be unaware of biases
* Feel intimidated
88
What is extended voir dire?
One-on-one questioning by attorneys and judge, using yes/no and open-ended questions, often with written forms.
89
How can jurors be removed?
* Challenge for cause: shows bias
90
: Do demographics predict verdicts?
No — age, race, or gender doesn’t strongly predict decisions.
91
What do control theories say about human behavior
humans are naturally antisocial, society trains and controls people to prevent crime
92
What are implicit personality theories in jury selection, examples are
peoples preconceptions that certian traits, attitudes and behaviors go tg
"women are more lenient"
"people with lower paying jobs are dumber"
93
How do attorneys use implicit personality theories during jury selection
they apply them to decide which potiental jurors to exclude or keep and even receive training to use them effectinely
-attorneys also predict jury group dynamics (who will lead, who will clash)
94
How accurate are attorneys at predicting juror behavior?
Attonerys often overestimate thier ability to predict juror bias or decisons
- some research shows that defense attorneys can sometime infuence case outcomes during voir dire
95
What is the similarity- leniency hypothesis
Jurors who share characterists with a party (gender, background) are more likley to favor that party in their verdict
96
What is the black sheep effect?
Jurors who share traits with a party may judge that party more harshly to avoid reflecting poorly on themselves or their group.
🔹 Example: A juror similar to a defendant might convict to show objectivity.
97
What does research show about juror-demographic effects on verdicts?
Demographics (gender, SES, religion) usually have weak and inconsistent effects depending on the trial type.
🔹 Example: Religious similarity → leniency unless strong evidence of guilt.
🔹 Women: more likely to convict in sexual assault/DV cases.
🔹 Men & higher SES: more likely to be forepersons.
98
How does authoritarianism affect juror decisions?
Authoritarian jurors are traditional, value authority, and punish rule-breakers.
🔹 They tend to convict and give harsher sentences—except when the defendant is an authority figure (like a police officer).
99
What is locus of control, and how does it affect juror bias?
Internal-
External-
* Internal (I): Believe outcomes come from effort or skill.
* External (E): Believe outcomes come from luck or fate.
🔹 Jurors project their view onto parties:
* Criminal defendant → defense may want E jurors
* Civil defendant (e.g., Toyota) → may want I jurors
* Civil plaintiff → may want E jurors
100
What is belief in a just world, and how does it affect juror behavior?
The belief that people “get what they deserve.”
🔹 Jurors may blame victims (“they must’ve done something”) or be harsher toward defendants.
🔹 Jurors with prior jury experience also tend to convict more and give harsher sentences.
101
What are the limits of jury research?
Most studies use mock trials
102
What role does personality play in juror decisions overall?
There’s no clear link to verdicts, but some personality traits can affect how jurors view evidence or people in the trial.
103
What is authoritarianism in jurors?
A personality trait where people value tradition, authority, and obedience.
- favor law enforcment and authority figures
104
What is “locus of control” in jurors?
internal
external-
The belief about what controls life outcomes:
* Internal (I): Success/failure due to effort or ability
* External (E): Success/failure due to luck or fate
🔹 Jurors project their view onto the parties (affects sympathy and blame).
105
How does locus of control affect case strategy?
Criminal defendant may want-
Civil defendant may want-
Civil plaintiff may want-
INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL JURORS
* Criminal defendant: defense may want external jurors → blame luck, not intent
* Civil defendant (e.g., Toyota): defense may want internal jurors → value responsibility
* Civil plaintiff: may want external jurors → believe bad luck caused harm
106
What is the “belief in a just world”?
The idea that people get what they deserve.
107
What is scientific or systematic jury selection
When attorneys use social scientists or consultants to help choose jurors
108
does scientific jury selection work?
some studies show it helps defense teams....
some studies show it helps defense teams lower conviction rates, but results vary
109
extra legal info is
Irrelevant factors that affect juror decisions (e.g., a person’s appearance or background).
👉 These matter less in longer trials.
110
What is the top factor influencing jury decisions
the stregth of the evidence presented in court
111
how do jusries eval expert testimony
qualifications, logic and fairness
dont follow expert blindly
112
what problem can occur with judges and expert testimony
judges may allow unrealible expert evidence, jurors cant tell if its weak or flawed
113
Can prior convictions be used in court
no, unless defendant testifys
114
Can prior acquittals be used?
Yes — usually seen as non-prejudicial and allowed in court.
115
What happens if multiple charges are tried at once?
_____ the chance of conviction on at least one charge.
Increases the chance of conviction on at least one charge.
116
What is character or propensity evidence? usually only aloweed in what type of crime cases?
Evidence about someone’s personality or tendency to commit crimes.
❌ Usually not allowed — except in sex crime cases, but even then it can unfairly sway jurors.
117
Jurors assign more blame when: ______
even though that should only effect ___________ not ________
The injuries are more serious, even though that should only affect the amount of money awarded, not who’s at fault.
118
Jurors often mistakenly consider things like _______ when assessing damages.
Attorney’s fees, taxes, insurance, and the plaintiff’s fault.
119
What is double discounting in civil trials?
When both the jury and judge reduce damages for the same reason, so the plaintiff (person who filed law suit) ends up getting too little money.
120
Jury instructions are usually given _______ and without a written copy.
Verbally, at the end of the trial.
121
Why are jury instructions criticized?
They’re often too complex and given too late for jurors to use effectively.
122
What is predecisional distortion?
When jurors form early opinions that shape how they interpret evidence.
123
What happens when judges tell jurors to ignore evidence?
It often backfires—jurors focus on it more.
124
Reactance theory says jurors _______.
Resist being told what to do and want to consider all evidence.
125
What does thought suppression research show?
Telling people not to think of something makes them think of it more.
126
Giving instructions at the start helps because _______.
It gives jurors a framework to understand the evidence.
127
Reforms suggest using _______ language.
Simple and straightforward.
128
Name two ways to make instructions clearer for jurors
provide written copy and summaries of witnesses
129
What are some supported reforms for jurors during trial?
Allow note-taking, juror questions, and mid-trial discussions.
130
What is jury nullification?
When a jury acquits someone even though the evidence shows they are legally guilty.
131
Juries can ignore the law if _______.
They believe following it would be unjust or immoral
132
Do judges tell juries about nullification?
No, judges rarely inform jurors about this power.
133
What happens when juries are told about nullification?
They are more likely to acquit sympathetic defendants.
134
What factors often influence jury nullification?
Racial or social bias.
135
What is jury nullification?
When a jury finds a defendant not guilty even though the evidence shows guilt, because they believe the law or its result would be unfair or unjust.
136
What is pretrial publicity?
Media coverage before a trial that can influence how people — especially jurors — see the defendant or the case.
137
How can pretrial publicity cause confirmation bias?
The press may focus on..
The press may focus on evidence that makes the defendant look guilty and ignore other facts.
138
What kind of info does the media often report?
Info that is inadmissible in court or sometimes inaccurate.
139
Why is voir dire important in high-profile cases?
t’s used to find biased jurors, but some may hide their bias caused by media exposure.
140
What is a gag order?
A judge’s order telling the press not to publish information that could bias the jury.
141
How does pretrial publicity affect jurors?
It can change how they see the defendant, judge guilt, and make final verdicts.
142
When is pretrial publicity most powerful?
When the crime happened close to home or when more time passes between media coverage and trial.
143
Which type of media has the biggest impact?
Television—especially when combined with print media.
144
What is generic pretrial publicity?
News about similar crimes or themes (like sexual assault) that biases jurors in unrelated cases.
145
What are some remedies for pretrial publicity?
Con_____
Expanded ___ ____
______ intrusctions
_______ of venue
Continuance: Delay the trial
Expanded voir dire: Ask jurors more questions.
Jury instructions: Tell jurors to ignore outside info.
Change of venue: Move the trial to another area.
146
Do jurors realize when they’re biased by publicity?
no
147
Are confessions valid if the suspect didn’t fully understand their rights?
Yes — courts have allowed them, even for minors or mentally disabled people.
148
What must a suspect do to stop police questioning?
They must clearly and directly ask for a lawyer.
149
When do Miranda rights not apply?
When the person is not in custody or not being interrogated.
150
Can police lie during an interrogation?
Yes — police can lie about evidence or facts, but not about a suspect’s rights.
151
Peremptory challenge for kicking someone out of jury]
CANT BE BC OF ______ or _____
no reason needed, but cannot be based on race or gender (Batson rules)
152
Psychopathy scale (PCL-R)
Factor 1 - interpersonal
superficaly charming, pathological liar, conning/ manipulator
153
Psychopathy scale (PCL-R)
Factor 1 - affective
lacks remorse/ empathy
doesnt take responsibility
154
Psychopathy scale (PCL-R)
Factor 2- lifestyle
simulation seeking, impulsive, lacks goals and irresponsible
155
Psychopathy scale (PCL-R)
Factor 2- antisocial
early behavioral problems, poor behavior controls,
156
Forensic Psych
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