Chapter 5: An Introduction To Behavioral Evidence Analysis

Front 1

Idiographic offender profiles

Back 1

Characteristics developed from an examination of a single case, or a series of cases linked by a single offender.

Front 2

Nomothetic offender profile

Back 2

An average, or a prediction

it does not describe a real offender walking around and breathing in the real world.

Front 3

Behavioral Evidence Analysis (BEA)

Back 3

methodology suggests that examination of crime-related behavioral evidence over time, along with subsequent offender physical, personal, and psychological traits, can reveal individual offender trait correlations, patterns, and propensities.

Front 4

The Inference of Traits & Criminal Profiling

Back 4

Criminal profiling refers to the inference of distinctive offender traits from physical and/or behavioral evidence.

Front 5

Allport’s Trait Theory of Personality

Back 5

BEA is generally consistent with Allport’s dynamic Trait Theory of Personality. This theory divides personality traits and dispositions into 3 general categories:

1.) Cardinal Traits

2.) Central Traits

3.) Secondary Traits

Front 6

Cardinal Traits

Back 6

The small number of dominant, pervasive and stable traits that define an individual to others and guide the majority of their decisions.

-Example:extremely religious

Front 7

Central Traits

Back 7

Core characteristics and behavioral tendencies that accurately describe an individual, while not consistently dominating their decision-making process and subsequent behavior

-Example: intelligent

Front 8

Secondary Traits

Back 8

Transitory preferences and moods, which are often situational and therefore less enduring

-Example: angry

Front 9

Behavioral evidence

Back 9

any physical, documentary, or testimonial evidence that helps to establish whether, when, or how an action has taken place.

Any form of physical evidence may also be behavioral evidence under the right circumstances

-Example:footprints and footwear impressions can indicate presence; standing, walking, or running; and direction

Front 10

BEA is an ideo-deductivemethod of crime scene analysis and criminal profiling:

Back 10

Involves the examination and interpretation of physical evidence, forensic victimology,and crime scene characteristics.

- BEA is ideographic – concerned with studying the aspects of individual cases and offenders

- BEA is deductive – inferences and conclusions are based on critical thinking, the scientific method, and deductive logic.

Front 11

3 Steps of Behavioral Evidence Analysis

Back 11

1)Forensic analysis – refers to the examination, testing, and interpretation of any and all available physical evidence

2)Forensic victimology –the scientific study of the victim for the purposes of addressing investigative and forensic questions

3)Crime scene analysis –the analytical process of interpreting the specific features of a crime andrelated crime scenes

Front 12

2 Contexts of Behavioral Evidence Analysis

Back 12

1.) Investigative Phase

2.) Trial Phase

Front 13

Investigative Phase of BEA

Back 13

-Occurs before a suspect has been arrested (or before a defendant is taken to court with a lawsuit)

-Involves behavioral evidence analysis of the patterns of unknown perpetrators of known crimes

Front 14

Trial Phase of BEA

Back 14

-Occurs while a suspect is being tried for a crime (or put on trial for damages)

-Involves behavioral evidence analysis of known crimes for which there is a suspect of defendant. -Takes place in preparation for hearings, trials, and post-conviction proceedings.

Front 15

Principles

Back 15

the fundamental truths and propositions that provide the foundation for any given field of study

Front 16

Basic principles of BEA

Back 16

Uniqueness,

separation,

behavioral dynamics,

behavioral motivation,

multi-determination,

motivational dynamic,

behavioral variance,

unintended consequences,

memory corruption, and

reliability

Front 17

Practice standards

Back 17

-Fundamental rules that set the limits of evidentiary interpretation.

-Practice standards define a minimum threshold of competency and provide independent reviewers with a basis for checking work that purports to be competent