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Idiographic offender profiles
Characteristics developed from an examination of a single case, or a series of cases linked by a single offender.
Nomothetic offender profile
An average, or a prediction
it does not describe a real offender walking around and breathing in the real world.
Behavioral Evidence Analysis (BEA)
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.
The Inference of Traits & Criminal Profiling
Criminal profiling refers to the inference of distinctive offender traits from physical and/or behavioral evidence.
Allport’s Trait Theory of Personality
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
Cardinal Traits
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
Central Traits
Core characteristics and behavioral tendencies that accurately describe an individual, while not consistently dominating their decision-making process and subsequent behavior
-Example: intelligent
Secondary Traits
Transitory preferences and moods, which are often situational and therefore less enduring
-Example: angry
Behavioral evidence
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
BEA is an ideo-deductivemethod of crime scene analysis and criminal profiling:
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.
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