Psychology Articles

Profiling is a science of observation, study and exploitation of traces of a crime scene, a person, or an animal to determine the relevance of such traces to an investigated crime, event or personality and behavior in general.

Anthropological and Psychological profiling

Profiling consists of several major types:

Cultural profiling

Racial profiling

Predictive profiling

Forensic information technology

Drug profiling

Offender profiling

Digital image forensic

DNA profiling

Performance profiling

The information obtained from profiling is known as forensic, such information is widely relied upon by judiciary systems, such as courts, and police enforcement agencies to determine what happens in a crime scene and help in assumption of criminal behavior.

However, such information is not restricted to the use of such bodies, but rather extends to assisting observers to broaden the comprehension of studied cases or individuals when applied by intelligence agencies or any security related bodies.

Profiling and forensic profiling is used in all fields of studies and not only humans, in fact, this science is developing and advancing very rapidly despite scientific criticism to its viable application.

Generally, forensic profiling refers to the profiling practices of discovering the correlation between acquired data related to studied subject or case as an identifying process and a categorization of groups and data acquired, such as nominal data (persons or objects and their relation due to an investigation) and crime data which is physical tracks of criminal activities on crime scenes be it a witness, a laptop or a mobile phone…

The most commonly used profiling techniques are data mining techniques, such as generating profiles based upon discovered data and the relevance of its patterns.

The four phases of profiling (Gregg O McCrary):

- Antecedent: The murderer’s plan, fantasy and drive prior to committing the crime.

- Method and manner: type of selected victims and method used to commit the crime.

- Body disposal: If the murder and the body disposal took place at one or, multiple scenes.

- Post offense behavior: if the murderer tries to publicize himself by reaching the media or contacting investigators.

Profiling is based on common sense, yet its applied measures varies from culture to culture and race to race, it is an advanced investigative tool while its effectiveness is still under a lot of scientific scrutiny since it is mostly a speculative art still. An Indian would shake his head from left to right in an affirmative gesture or expression, while a Caucasian by doing so would indicate to a denial gesture or expression, an owl in the Middle East is looked upon as a bad omen, while in the west it symbolizes wisdom, and so on…

Profiling relates behavioral science and relies on observation and analysis.

It is accepted that the evolution of human racial and physical features generates from their inherited behavior due to a specific environment and way of adaptation. Lets take for instance an African negroid thick lips evolved due to an adapting process to help preserve moisture, an aborigine of Australia or Papua New Guinea developed thick eye browse to protect his eyes from sun rays, a Bedouin desert folk did so with a larger or longer nose to help him breath better in desert climate, and women living in hot and humid terrains tend to have a larger buttocks to preserve body fat etc…

Therefore; profiling relies heavily on the understanding of the subject cultural and ethical background, and that in itself is based upon relative measures and speculations.

Though profiling is regarded to be a part of science, yet a successful profiler needs to be very talented if he is to produce an effective and accurate profiling.

Profiling goes back in history to the middle ages, and Scotland Yard took it a step further, while Sherlock Holmes character made it even more popular, then there is the CSI series of late filling the rest of the empty cup of the thirsty TV shows viewers.

Remember; we apply our own spontaneous profiling in daily life by what we interpret and perceive from the body language that we use from one another.

Till the next article, may you have the best personality profile!

Adam El Masri

Adam El Masri

http://www.paradetect.com/

Abstract:
All over the World serial and mass killings occur almost daily somewhere. This criminal activity is best known in the USA and the UK where the freedoms of society allow murderers to act out their psychotic murders with the protection of rules that ensure freedom of movement, rights to silence and privacy. In the past in China society was so regulated that crime in all areas was extremely difficult to conceal. However in modern China the serial killer has emerged but with backward police and communication methods for detection they often kill for years until accidentally caught more by luck than professional investigations. In this paper we will look at the patchy criminal profile of Chinese serial killers that is starting to emerge.

Background & Cases:
China has a very strict reporting system for crime – it is after the fact reporting – so the police and government keep hidden from the public many aspects of crime as the failure of authority and police to capture or control crime means losing face. Even after a long investigation and pure luck, they actually arrest someone they pay the reward money to the police investigators not the public that provided the information to capture the killers. With this level of inefficiency and low level of intelligence and cooperation within and between police authorities it is not surprising that serial killers can operate and avoid detection for long periods of time. Most of the killers come from low educational backgrounds and rural up bring from poor families which makes it even more surprising they get away with their criminal activity for so long.

A few examples of serial killers in China it will be sufficient to give a feeling for the seriousness of the situation rather than go into detail, the writer will merely give some general overviews, and (for those who would like to know more, then a quick search of Google will suffice to see many of these cases in more detail).

A 33 year old male kills six children and molests five others by luring them to his home and then sexually abusing them and then death.
A 20 year old male murders seventeen young boys by suffocation.
A male age 20, murders ten adults by knifing.
A male truck driver, murders fourteen women, raping first then killing them.
Gang of Four thieves rob, mutilate and murder seventy seven people in their homes.
Male age 29. Known as the Red Dress Killer, murders thirteen known plus numerous attacks.
A 32 year old male, kills twenty children, sexual assault and mutilation.
The Monster Killer, male, murdered sixty five people.
Male 29 year old farmer, murders twenty three young boys age 16 to 20.
A couple lures twelve women with promise of work and then murders them.
Male 34, murders seven during shop robberies.
Unlicensed male doctor poisons over 150 victims charged with three deaths for court purposes.
Male age 38, murders ten people mainly females, including a pregnant woman and mental patient.

As you can see from the above examples compared to the serial killers in the USA or EU it is hard to compare the sheer scale of the problem in China and the amount of victims in each case is much higher than other countries reported except perhaps the USSR where mass serial killers exist. To have a successful profiling system you first have to have access to information in detail about how the crimes were committed, a good developmental background of the killer and the social environment that allowed the situation to arise in the first place.

Criminal Profiling Background:

There are two profiling systems in the world that are sufficiently funded and have had some success in detecting criminals and helping to apprehend them by assisting police to narrow down the suspects in a case and to develop a strategy to capture them.

The most well know is the criminal behavioral unit of the FBI in the USA. Although not based on any real science, it does have a lot of historical data based on past serial killers and their motives, modus operanda, interviews with convicted serial killers for biographies and background. The FBI has a basic model that they train other security forces around the World to follow, one is, data assimilation, collecting information about each case, second, crime classification, looking at the type of crime for example organized or disorganized, third, crime reconstruction, looking at victim behaviour as a clue to why they were chosen by the killer and fourth, profile generation in which an outline of the killers behaviour and motives are assessed with demographics, physical profile and likely perpetrator type. The success rate of the FBI profiling is actually very low at only 17% of profiles actually helping to an arrest. This is thought to be because the FBI’s methods are fundamentally flawed as they have no control group in which to compare and contrast results. They accept the interview often at face value from criminals that lie constantly even after arrest. The other most well known profiling methods are from the UK, mainly led by consulting psychologists who have been employed by the British police to help in difficult cases. Alas on review the UK system does not fare much better than the FBI at 16% of cases when reviewed led to an arrest based on profiling. The British system was based in science where people tend to act consistently and follow patterns of behaviour. The British system was more in-depth, looking at speech patterns, social constructs, interests and obsessions. This approach although still lacking over-all success just as with the FBI, was far more accurate when post analysis was applied. In other words, although the criminal was arrested by chance (the most common way a serial killer is caught), detection or self confession, the profiles tended to be very close to the killers real life, habits and identity although they did not actually help to catch the criminal at the time.

Profiling in China:

As far as the writer is aware of there are no profilers in China and probably very unlikely to happen due to one simple reason, there are no qualified criminal/forensic psychologists in China. Also the police here are in the main street crime orientated which is why they find it so difficult to investigate any crime that is not immediately obvious. The level of education in the police is no more than glorified security guards in most cases. Having said that – one always hopes for change. The education system at all levels in China is dogged by corruption and payments for results – and so Chinese qualifications are not trusted around the World at this time. Until they organize foolproof external examinations systems such as those in the UK and USA this will continue to be the case.

An Attempt at Profiling in China.

Taking the case studies above can we identify in China the most likely suspect in a serial killing case? Here is a preliminary outline, but by know means scientific or proven. This is just an overview of the current situation from reports surfacing after convictions.

Gender: Almost always male.
Age: 20 – 35
Education: Failed high school cannot read and write very well.
Background: Rural upbringing, countryside. Ex-army
Developmental: Mother only after divorce or abandonment.
Mental Health: delusional, grandeur, no empathy shown to victims.
Method: Suffocation, Knifing, Strangulation
Other motives: robbery
Lure/Victimology: money, offer of work
Trophies: Taken in most cases, belts, clothing, and jewelry.
Disposal of Victims: often buried, but some left at scene of crime.
Type of Victims: mainly female adults and children.
History: Most had some criminal backgrounds and prison sentences for lesser crimes.
Other: Cannibalism in one or two cases.

This outline profile of course is quite wide and based on just a few cases. However even from this we can make some useful deductions. A lack of access to guns (as in the UK too) means most murder is committed using knives or strangulation methods. Some societal restriction on the sale of hunting knives as in the UK would go some way to removing access to certain weapons. Lack of access to mental health professionals is clearly a problem in China which is stuck 50 years in the past in the hospitals using outdated psychiatric methods of drugs and confinement. Failure of the education system to support rural children who cannot pay for schooling. Lack of social opportunities makes it easy to lure victims with offers of money or work. Police should cross reference their systems of information – a central data bank – that does not currently exist in China. Most of the killers at some point were still living at home with family – not loners as such – until they started to avoid the police – then moving about from province to province made them difficult to track and find. Most serial killers are statistically married with children unlike the supposed image of the lone lunatic.

Profiling in Fiction:

One of the problems with criminal profiling is television. The first TV program to highlight the science came from the UK with a series called. Cracker in which a psychologist helps the police crack all the difficult cases of murder by smart deduction based on psychological principals. However if you analyze the content most of the outcomes were as in all fiction pure luck. In the USA, there was, Criminal Minds, this was in the beginning trying to be a serious attempt at using profiling in a scientific way but soon as most of these programs lost its way in characterization and mundane stories from any other police series and so in the end was a very poor program from a real life point of view. Other programs such as the CSI were more scientific but just as far from real life as any other TV when the series moves into later seasons. The conclusion is that TV psychology vastly over-estimates the abilities of criminal profiling and that in the real World it is just not that essential to the capture of killers who by and by get caught more by chance that any other reason. A new program called. Lie to Me, shows psychologists who use body language and micro-expressions to catch criminals out in a lie. This is pure fiction and not based on any credible science at all.

Profiling in China:

For the Chinese authorities to start to appreciate the support psychology could give to them – they first have to have a mind-set change to enable them to use more modern ways of looking at crime and victims. They need to allow research at prisons of past offenders to start to build a data- base similar to the FBI model but also to allow in-depth interview of motives by deception psychologists who would use cognitive interview techniques developed in Britain to ascertain real information. This is also difficult as most serial killers are executed every quickly after conviction in China. Also to enable cross fertilization of information across provinces without beucratic defenses. It would certainly benefit China to have a Criminal Intelligence Squad that was made up of experienced detectives, psychologists and criminologists working as a team on any crime, country-wide, with full powers over the local police force to investigate major serial killings when they occur. This would mean just like the FBI’s BU team specialists can be on call to help when the local police stumble and fail to protect the victims of crime. However even before all this – you have to have a teaching regime of criminal and forensic psychology available at university level and experienced teachers to give the courses. That is a long way off – as psychology in China is so poor in general here. The universities tend to concentrate on the soft sciences in psychology such as child development and cognitive work with little attention to the hard sciences in neuropsychology, biopsychology and abnormal psychology. You need good scientists to do forensic work otherwise it is all subjective as in the example of the TV shows that use the science as background to a drama about love and relationships within the characters of the show rather than project real life.

Conclusion:

Criminal profiling in China is a distant idea right now – the necessary backgrounds, education, experts and science are just not available in the education system or the wider society. The police are too unsophisticated and untrained to be able to handle real investigations. If it is not obvious – then forget it. Corruption with in China is still wholesale in all aspects of life and so paying off the system still happens if you are rich enough and the authorities are underpaid and under-educated and so an easy mark for taking money and turning a blind eye to crime.

As China modernizes in its cities and lifestyles, so more crime from the area of those without and those with wealth will continue. The gap now between the middle classes and the rural poor is getting wider everyday and so creating the right conditions for crime where material gain is the most important thing. In China everyone seeks money as a God and empathy for others is non-existent. Perfect society in which to breed major crimes against the person such as the serial killer.

Dr. Stephen Myler is from Leicester in England, an industrial town in the Midlands of the United Kingdom. He holds a B.Sc (Honours) in Psychology from the UKA’s Open University the largest in the UK; he also has an M.Sc and Ph.D in Psychology from Knightsbridge University in Denmark. In addition to this Stephen holds many diplomas and awards in a variety of academic areas including journalism, finance, teaching and advanced therapy for mental health. Stephen has as a Professor of Psychology many years teaching experience in colleges and universities in England and China to post 16 young adults, instructing in psychology, sociology, English, marketing and business. He has been fortunate to travel extensively from Australia to Africa to the United Sates, South America, Borneo, most of Europe and Russia. Stephen’s favourite hobby is the study of primates and likes to play badminton. He believes that students who enjoy classes with humour and enthusiasm from the teacher always come back eager to learn more.

Remorse, Regret, and Sorry are three words vital to adaptive living. These three words when practiced increase the probability of all social interactions being successful. Ignorance and/or refusal of this psychological triad lead to criminal and/or deviant behaviors with victimization as the modus operandi. Two diminutive words, “I’m Sorry”, is one of the most powerful and complex phrases expressed in communication.

Since the beginning of civilization, this phrase has been part of all societal and cultural exchanges communicated via various languages. “I’m Sorry” will always be integral to social relationships. The premise of this phrase concretely illustrates how all people are fallible creatures. Actions and/or words can offend briefly or inflict a life long psychological scar void of healing. Understanding the meaning and origins of “I’m Sorry” will assist the reader in comprehending this powerful phrase.

The actual term, Sorry, dates back to prehistoric times and theorized to derive from the West Germanic term, Sairig, a derivative of Sairaz, with the English source denoting Sore. The original definition meant both physical and psychological pain. Over hundreds of years, the word evolved into an expression of regret now coined, Sorry. Despite the resemblance, the word Sorry has no etymological connection with the term, Sorrow. This word also dates back to prehistoric Germanic language meaning “care.” Contemporary German dialect uses the word, Sorge, meaning to worry or feel sorrow.

The term, Sorry, is an adjective with a multitude of meanings defining different communications expressed in social relationships. From a reductionist standpoint, and adding the identifier, I’m, makes the phrase a form of apology and expression of regret.

The definition of apology is an expression of regret for causing someone else trouble or pain. The definition of regret means to feel remorse or contrite about ones actions. Remorse and regret are two emotions people in general have a very difficult time experiencing and admitting.

Remorse is another vital term to succinctly understand the phrase, “I’m Sorry.” Without the experience of remorse, it is impossible to sincerely communicate regret for ones misdeed(s). Remorse is defined as a sense of deep regret and guilt for causing someone harm. Depending on the harm committed, severity of remorse can range from subtle to severe. The societal purpose of remorse is to educate people on behaviors not acceptable in social interactions.

Without the experience of remorse, people can not learn to change their actions leading to a more conducive lifestyle. Since the beginning of recorded history, civilization has written poetry, music, songs, and various other forms of communication in an attempt to define and express the experience of remorse. Without remorse for wrongdoings, society could not exist and isolation would be central to human existence.

The human being is a social creature surviving and thriving within a group dynamic. As part of this evolutionary structure, remorse and communication of regret is both encouraged and necessary for survival of all people, the homo sapiens.

Given the vital purpose of remorse and regret to humanity, the term, “I’m Sorry”, is often confounded by suspicions of sincerity. A person’s character and integrity is a barometer of sincerity and the impact of communicating remorse is directly connected to the person’s intent. If integrity is deemed suspect, then attempts to apologize can easily be construed as misguided void of sincerity.

Character and integrity related to being genuinely remorseful is tied to past, present, and future actions following their misdeed(s). Some are unforgivable while most are accepted provided specific actions are exhibited after his/her misdeed(s). The end product of actions following a misdeed is new learned behaviors reducing the potential for repetition of the specific misdeeds.

An analogy to illustrate human fallibility not addressed, changed, or redirected would be the person who suffers from alcoholism. Although the alcoholic is secretly aware his/her drinking causes pain and anguish to others, he/she continues to drink using a variety of defense mechanisms such as denial, displacement, and minimization. Engaged in the gradual demise of his/her character, integrity, and trust by others, the alcoholic may go years before experiencing remorse and abstaining from future alcohol consumption. The process of recognition, remorse, regret, recovery and rehabilitation illustrates the path all people should experience in the process of positive human adaptation.

Without remorse or regret for actions deemed hurtful by others, the probability for positive change is minuscule. Given the depths of the human mind, there are copious defense mechanisms ready to protect someone from feeling regret for their actions. The ability to say, “I’m Sorry”, and mean it requires an internal reservoir called conscience. Conscience is defined as a moral sense of right and wrong. This psychological construct affects a person’s behavior and encourages functional behavior.

Consciousness, thinking, awareness, and self-awareness are all relevant facets of the conscience. This construct is like a glass of water ranging from empty to full. Most people’s reservoir of conscience ranges from ½ to ¾ filled. As mentioned above, a part of the human condition is fallibility and proclivity to engage in non functional behavior(s). The less conscience a person possesses, the more apt he/she is at a risk for victimizing others. The severest outcome of lacking a vessel of conscience would be the criminal, deviant, or sociopathic mind.

The phrase, “I’m Sorry”, is one of the most important phrases involved in the human experience. From the beginning of time and ad infinitum thereafter, the process of recognition, regret, remorse, and rehabilitation will always be a barometer for human adaptability. Laws, religions, philosophies, and familial guidelines for raising children are all geared to manage and reduce human suffering.

The goal is quite simple and easy to practice using five steps.

1. Expect others to become offended given variability of perceptions filtering all human interactions.
2. Whether innocent or guilty causing others harm, initiate an apology followed by empathy for their experience.
3. Verbalize a plan for not offending in the future.
4. Introspect upon and initiate a paradigm shift reducing the potential for future offending action(s).
5. Never forget, always forgive, and foster mutual respect.

Dr. Michael Nuccitelli is a New York State licensed psychologist and certified forensic consultant. He completed his doctoral degree in clinical psychology in 1994 from the Adler School in Chicago, Illinois. In 2006, he received a Diplomat by the American Board of Psychological Specialties and Certified Forensic Consultant, C.F.C., designation from the American College of Forensic Examiners Institute.

The theory of Dark Psychology assumes either you are ignorant to past devious actions or simply don’t care. Here is a chance to change your trajectory and begin anew. Whatever predatory behaviors you have engaged in, sociopathic and/or criminal, there is always a choice to cease, desist, and step from the abyss of becoming sociopathic.

Have you ever wondered how human mind works? Why every person has different character, temperament, behavior? Well, psychologists have stepped closer than anybody to the mystery of human’s mind! If you’re interested in all these questions, then maybe psychology would be appealing for you? It’s a really fascinating career path! But how to become a psychologist? What are the main requirements for this profession? Here is a step-by-step guidance on how to become a psychologist.

1. Gathering Information
You should find out everything about psychologist’s duties and tasks. Maybe, you already know that psychologists help people to deal with their problems, to overcome emotional and mental disorders. But it’s only the tip of the iceberg! Field of psychology is rather diverse and offers a wide range of job choices. It includes so many branches! Clinical, counseling, industrial-organizational, school, developmental, social, forensic psychology… You can easily choose the work setting to your taste! For this you should know as much as possible about the field you are about to choose. So start digging out the information!

2. First Degree in Psychology
The second step to becoming a psychologist requires getting a Bachelor’s degree. It’s an entry level to this profession. A profound knowledge is extremely important for psychologists! So begin your education with Bachelors in Science. Later you can decide whether to proceed your studying or get a job with Bachelors in psychology. But note that students with this degree have quite limited choice when it comes to employment. You’ll be able to get assisting job or work under the supervision. To work independently you need to advance your degree.

3. Getting Masters in Psychology
Well, with this degree you have a wider range of career choices available! And salaries offered for Masters are higher as well. In fact, two factors that influence psychologist’s salary are degree and experience. Graduates with Masters in Psychology usually work in the field of school or industrial-organizational psychology.

4. Improving Your Knowledge
To work independently and carry out your own practice you have to get a Ph.D. or Psy.D. These are superior degrees in psychology and they require five to seven years of practical experience. Plus, you should take a year of internship. After getting doctoral degree you’re eligible for licensing and your own practice.

Psychologists can also improve their knowledge by getting various certificates through the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP). There are 13 different certificates available for psychologists striving for career growth.

5. Getting a License
It is a must-to-have thing if you plan to work independently in a private sector. So what are the requirements for licensure?

Ph.D. or Psy.D.
internship completion
minimum of 2 years of practice
successful exam passing

The detailed information about applying for license can be found on the official site of the American Psychology Association ( http://www.apa.org ).

So have you found out how to become a psychologist? Yep, it’s not a piece of cake for sure! But still, career in psychology is worth your efforts! It’s absolutely rewarding field of science. The point is you must be persistent and ambitious to find your niche in this area. Do you manage to do this?

Virginia writes about education and career choices for high-school students. She is interested in psychology, literature and dancing. More information about becoming psychologist and psychology schools can be found here: Psychology Schools

If your public service involves interviewing surviving victims of or eyewitnesses to violent events, you will want to learn more about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and the Witness Memory Retrieval Technique and how each can impact your investigation.

Research proves there are two distinct human processes that prevent investigators and police personnel from conducting the most effective investigation when working with surviving victims of and eyewitnesses to violent crimes. Those processes have been identified as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Memory Retrieval (Recall).

What is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and how does it impact the Witness Memory Retrieval process?

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a reaction to a violent event that evokes intense fear, terror and helplessness. Many surviving victims of violent crimes…rape, robbery, murder, kidnapping, terrorism, sexual abuse and physical assault, for example, are unable to recognize the signs of emotional stress they are experiencing. Traumatic events trigger feelings in victims from which they cannot easily recover, largely because they have not been helped to recognize and subsequently deal with their emotional and behavioral changes. These feelings impede an investigators’ ability to retrieve additional significant information paramount to solving a case.

As a police officer or investigator you are often the first contact victims have following a traumatic encounter. The importance of police interaction with victims cannot be underestimated. In many instances, victims suffer what is known as second injury in their interactions with police, judges, attorneys, physicians and other public authority figures. The term “second injury” refers specifically to a psychological injury, rather than a physical injury. The event will leave the victim in a vulnerable state of mind, causing them to perceive situations in a distorted and overly negative light.

Although it is natural to establish common perceptions about the kinds of behavior people exhibit, know that things are not always as they appear. The outcome of effective police-victim interviewing can have a positive dual impact, aiding you in retrieving pertinent and factual data relevant to your case, while protecting the immediate and potential future emotional well-being of the victim.

While you certainly are not expected to be an expert diagnostician or mental health professional, you are in an ideal position to help. Acquiring even basic information on PTSD combined with practical experience and cognitive interviewing skills can be a major benefit for eliciting more precise and vital investigative information.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder manifests itself in phases beginning with the initial impact or shock the victim suffers and ultimately resulting in a healthy recovery. Dr. Calvin J. Frederick, retired Chief of Psychological Services at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in West Los Angeles, California has spent a career researching PTSD and has developed a Table that lists the phases a victim moves through and the physiological and psychological symptoms a victim is likely to display following a violent event.

In addition to becoming more aware of the signs of PTSD, there are initial intervention responses available to you. According to Dr. Martin Symonds, retired New York City Police Department psychiatrist, the first moments of police contact with a victim/witness are the most critical moments.

It is essential that the victim be provided with a feeling of trust and support and a lessening of any external threat following the trauma of a violent crime. Police officers, especially non-uniformed officers, should immediately identify themselves as such to the victim/witness. It would be helpful to include basic opening conversation such as “I’m sorry this happened to you” “It wasn’t your fault” and/or “I’m glad you’re alright.” This combined with preliminary intervention techniques will reinforce the victims’ trust that they are dealing with law enforcement officers who are sensitive to and aware of the trauma being suffered.

Lastly, the method in which a victim/witness is interviewed for police report taking is not only crucial to his/her emotional healing but also to the type and amount of investigative information you are able to retrieve.

The most widely used ’standard’ method of interviewing is a series of questions beginning with a description of the suspect(s) – sex, age, race, height, weight, color of hair and eyes and the victim’s account of the event.

The second method of interviewing is hypnosis, generally performed by a specially trained forensic hypnotist. With the victim in a state of altered consciousness, the forensic hypnotist asks questions and solicits answers. This method is the least used because of the negative legal ramifications it poses within the judicial system.

The third method is the cognitive Witness Memory Retrieval Technique (WMRT), researched and developed by Dr. R. Edward Geiselman of the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). WMRT is a collection of memory-jogging techniques designed to provide investigators with an organized series of focused memory retrieval ‘cues’ and steps that help victims/witnesses retrieve and elaborate on information stored in the memory.

The theoretical support of the research and development are based on two generally accepted principles of memory:

* A memory is comprised of several elements. The more elements a memory retrieval ‘cue’ has in common with the recall of an event, the more effective the ‘cue’ is in retrieving information.
* A memory has several access routes, so information that is not accessible with one retrieval ‘cue’ may be accessed with a different one.

The purpose of the Witness Memory Retrieval Technique, when used in conjunction with the standard interview method, maximizes the quantity and quality of information retrieved while minimizing the effects of misleading or inaccurate information.

Skillful incident-specific treatment is an absolute prerequisite for effective police-victim relations and problem resolution. Determining the most reliable and effective tools available is a concern for most law enforcement investigators. Any valid interviewing instrument should be designed to deduce the pertinent facts, identifications and recollection of the event that best assist you in the apprehension and conviction of the criminal suspect(s). Essential bits of information can make the difference between the time you spend on solid leads and the time you spend following up on weak ones.

As you well know violent events happen in a matter of seconds and yet it’s amazing what the memory can store. To test your own Memory Recall for FREE and for further information on the Witness Memory Retrieval Technique training video and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder go to http://www.GiveYourselfTheInvestigativeEdge.com.

Advanced methods of obtaining more accurate and detailed information becomes critical when it is time for a witness to make a suspect identification during a lineup or ’six-pack’ photospread or when called to testify in court. The cognitive interview method can enhance an eyewitness’s ability to recall events and provide solid investigative information. Test your own memory recall for FREE at: http://www.GiveYourselfTheInvestigativeEdge.com.

History:

Forensic psychology came in light in the twirl of the twentieth century. In 1901, William stern studied on recollection of memory course. He made his students to analyze a picture for few seconds and then asked questions to them relating to it. He then concluded from his research that memories which are recalled are in general not precise. Lead-in query are frequently use in police force cross-examination and in inquiring spectators. The first forensic psychologist is often said to be “Hugo Munster berg”. He wrote a book which was published in 1908 which was titled as “On the Witness Stand”. There were some other scientist who has created some test which is helpful for the legal proceeding is Sigmund Freud and Alfred Bi net. There studies suggested that the time taken by an individual to answer a question may possibly be an aspect in determining guiltiness or incorruptibility.

About forensic psychology:

It is the interface between psychology and the law, so all psychosomatic services offered for the official community is forensic psychological services. The services provided are both medical and forensic in nature. It is also known as the application of science and its answers to the queries relating to the rules and regulation of the legal system. The term “forensic” came from “forensic” which means the forum it is a Latin word. Presently it refers for the purpose of technical and scientific principles to carry out a challenging process which is possible with a well-educated and highly professional scientist.

Key terms:

Some key terms in forensic psychology are Insanity, Expert Witness, Competency, Jury Consulting and Criminal Profiling. Some motivating Sub fields contained by this Psychology are social psychology, developmental psychology, cognitive psychology, criminal investigative psychology and clinical-forensic psychology.

Pros and cons in the field of forensic psychology:

Pros: Helping Others, Opportunities, Varying surroundings, acknowledgment and Personal Fulfillment, long-lasting Education, threat of Injury, no independent work it always teamwork, and Burnout Risk.

Cons: long-lasting Education, threat of Injury, no independent work it always teamwork, and Burnout Risk.

Qualities needed in Forensic Psychologist:

Desirable ability, aptitude, and acquaintance are the key qualities for forensic psychology. Those with an aspiration to work must be patient, flexible, at ease working with others, and take pleasure in doing research. One also have to be a good quality speaker for the reason that a lot of people who do work in this field work as specialist spectators at a few point through their career. An expertise in irregular, motivational, scientific, and social psychology is also main features to be victorious in this field. Additionally, working in this field requires continuing education throughout career, even after 5-7 years of graduate school. One cannot be a certified psychologist with out a doctoral degree.

Institutions for Master degree courses

A few Terminal Master Degree courses for practicing a profession in Forensic Psychology are Forensic Psychology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice at the University of Melbourne.

George Anto is a Copywriter of Psychology, Forensic Psychology, Community Psychology. He written many articles in various topics such as sports Psychology. For more information visit: http://psychegames.com.

From two Greek words: psyche, which means the mind or the soul and logos, which means study, the science of Psychology has been studied and defined by many people throughout the ages. Hilgard, Morgan, Silverman, and Schlesinger are just a few. A careful analysis of their foregoing definitions of psychology reveals common points: Psychology is the scientific study of the behaviors of living organisms; the term behavior must not be solely attributed to man’s physical reactions and observable behavior; and thoughts, feelings, and attitudes are also connected to the term behavior.

The primary goals of Psychology are mainly to describe, identify, understand and explain behavior, to know its factors, and to control or change behavior. Psychologists often apply their knowledge and understanding of human behavior to solve issues and help in our society. Different areas of specialization in Psychology are studied to provide better understandings of this science.

Among these are the traditional fields consisting mainly of: Clinical Psychology which deals with the diagnosis, treatment, and evaluation of psychological problems. It also relates to Psychiatry which pertains to more serious problems; Counseling Psychology which deals with administering, storing, and interpreting psychological exams; Educational or School Psychology which deals with students’ learning and adjustment; Community Psychology which deals with problems of the aged, prisoners, and other problems in the community.

It also focuses on providing accessible care for these people; Social Psychology which deals with the behavior of man individually and in groups; Industrial or Organizational Psychology which deals with issues of people in the workplace; Personality Psychology which is concerned with the uniqueness of a person; Developmental Psychology which deals with factors affecting human groups; Experimental Psychology which focuses with the basis of scientific research; Physiological Psychology which is concerned with the functions of the brain; and Comparative Psychology which targets the differences of the species.

Aside from these, several branches of Psychology were discovered during the 70’s. Forensic Psychology deals with legal, judicial, and correctional systems. Environmental Psychology is primarily concerned about issues relating to the environment. Computer Science, on the other hand, uses computer programming for behavioral analysis. There is also Engineering Psychology which seeks to make the relationship between man and machines; and Psychopharmacology which deals with the relationship of behavior and drugs.

Furthermore, the latest fields of Psychology that were recently developed consist of: Health Psychology which focuses on multidimensional approaches that emphasize lifestyle and health care systems; Sports Psychology which applies psychological principles to improve performance and enjoy participation; Cross-culture Psychology which examines the role of culture in understanding behavior, thoughts, and emotions; and Women Psychology which emphasizes the importance of promoting research and study of women.

Allan enjoys writing up on a variety of subjects. Other than the above topic, he also likes to set up sites on different topics. Do check out his new site which covers useful information on spinal decompression.

In 1972, Thomas Nagel first introduced what is now known as the “epistemic gap” amongst contemporary philosophers. It was described in his paper “What Is It Like To Be A Bat?” and the gist of the argument was this: one cannot fully understand the mind unless one is experiencing that mind.

Nagel took the example of a bat because bats are so fascinatingly different than humans; they hang upside down most of the time, use echolocation, they are nocturnal, and most eat nothing but insects. Could a human ever convincingly claim that he knew what it was like to be a bat? Nagel didn’t believe this was possible – I agree.

Can the same be true amongst humans? Can another human fully understand the mind of another, or, does one have to be in the first-person to understand the mind more clearly?

Philosopher Frank Jackson wrote a paper in 1982 titled “Epiphenomenal Qualia” where he introduced the famous thought experiment known as Mary’s room. It goes like this:

“Mary is a brilliant scientist who is, for whatever reason, forced to investigate the world from a black and white room via a black and white television monitor. She specializes in the neurophysiology of vision and acquires, let us suppose, all the physical information there is to obtain about what goes on when we see ripe tomatoes, or the sky, and use terms like ‘red’, ‘blue’, and so on. She discovers, for example, just which wavelength combinations from the sky stimulate the retina, and exactly how this produces via the central nervous system the contraction of the vocal cords and expulsion of air from the lungs that results in the uttering of the sentence ‘The sky is blue’. (…) What will happen when Mary is released from her black and white room or is given a color television monitor? Will she learn anything or not? It seems just obvious that she will learn something about the world and our visual experience of it. But then is it inescapable that her previous knowledge was incomplete.”

These arguments by Frank Jackson and Thomas Nagel are two of the most famous papers in support of the idea of qualia – a term used in philosophy to describe the subjective quality of conscious experience. It is an idea often associated with the mind/body dualism (the belief that the mind is in some-part nonphysical, and therefore a separate entity from our physical bodies).

The epistemic gap does not prove any such thing however, and it is perfectly compatible with a materialist view of the mind. The real questions that the epistemic gap provokes is within the field of psychology and the scientific method itself.

Science is science – we believe – because of its objective, empirical, and third-person approach to knowledge. Science has often given men the ability to step outside of the happenings of natural phenomena, study them, test them, replicate their findings, and come to conclusions.

There is no doubting the breakthroughs and advancements science has come to offer man throughout the centuries. It would be foolish to deny these achievements.

Even in Western psychology (which is quite a young field relative to the natural sciences), researchers have made incredibly discoveries of the mind and how it works. We have devised useful models for how the mind perceives sensations (Psychophysics), how it processes information, stores memories, and solves problems (Cognitive Psychology), how the mind changes throughout the human lifespan (Developmental Psychology), how the mind builds associations and how these associations affect our behaviors (Learning or Experimental Psychology), how the brain or the “physical anatomy of the mind” works (Neuropsychology), and we’ve been given the chance to take all of this information and apply it to a variety of other fields: Clinical Psychology, Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Sport Psychology, and even Forensic Psychology.

There is no denying the leaps psychology has made, all in the name of proper science. This is knowledge we would likely have not gotten any other way if it were not for the extraordinary and rigorous scientific method.

However, there is good reason to believe that Nagel and Jackson are right and that we cannot fully explain or understand a mind from an outside view. This is the belief that once science carries out its full course of discoveries that there will be something left unsaid about the mind (our understanding of the mind could never be as complete as our understanding of the physics on our planet). Unless – we redefine science.

But I believe we already have the techniques used to fully understand a mind – or at the very least, our own mind.

To understand this technique properly, we need to first drift away from the Western logical positivist philosophy of “if you can’t measure it, then it isn’t real,” which I believe has plagued much of modern day intellectual thought. Instead, I turn to the philosophies of the East – who have been studying the mind far, far longer and far more thoroughly than the West.

In particular I am fond of Buddhism which – like Western Science – takes pride in an objective approach to the study of phenomena. But there is a important property of the mind that Buddhists acknowledge and scientists go out of their way to ignore: the mind is – before all else – something that must be experienced first-person, or it wouldn’t be a mind at all.

This brings me to the practice of meditation – or more generally – a mindfulness of our inner worlds. There is a world in all of us that is subjective, personal, and completely our own. We cannot let anyone in it no matter how colorful our language or how much experience we share with another human being – it is ours and ours alone – and there are aspects to it that can only be dealt with by our self; no therapist, psychologist, family member, friend, scientist or spouse can ever figure it out for you.

Neither Buddhism or Science can rightfully claim to know how to bridge the gap between the subjective and objective. Both try their best to be objective at different vantage points: Science takes a third-person empirical approach while Buddhism takes a first-person empirical approach. Why can’t the study of the mind include both?

There is a fast growing interest in the West in meditative practices, yoga, tai chi, and other mind/body, holistic and alternative medicines for physical and mental health. This suggests there might be a vacancy in the West’s psyche, perhaps due to a combination of an incomplete scientific view of the mind along with an overwhelming nihilistic and atheistic attitude toward what would be deemed the spiritual or “mystic” aspects of man.

Many of these so called mystical practices are lumped into the demeaning pop psychology term “New Age.” Followers of so called New Age practices are said to be gullible and weak-minded – and perhaps some of them are. But it is also my belief that introspection and reflection on one’s mind can be the most rewarding and therapeutic practice for better mental health, the sharpening of one’s mental skill set, and a complete understanding of how the mind truly works (in the context of how it operates in the head of the individual and not by inference of a third-person observer).

Because of this I am very welcoming of these alternative and non-scientific studies of the mind. I in no way mean to deter scientific practices (I believe their should always be a science of the mind and a scientific study of human psychology), but I will stand up for the little guy on this one – science is not the giant be-all end-all of knowledge. It has its limitations, and we must be open to alternative studies of the mind. Sometimes we should turn our senses inward — and we may find there is some gold of truth to be discovered.

http://www.theemotionmachine.com

In 1972, Thomas Nagel first introduced what is now known as the “epistemic gap” amongst contemporary philosophers. It was described in his paper “What Is It Like To Be A Bat?” and the gist of the argument was this: one cannot fully understand the mind unless one is experiencing that mind.

Nagel took the example of a bat because bats are so fascinatingly different than humans; they hang upside down most of the time, use echolocation, they are nocturnal, and most eat nothing but insects. Could a human ever convincingly claim that he knew what it was like to be a bat? Nagel didn’t believe this was possible – I agree.

Can the same be true amongst humans? Can another human fully understand the mind of another, or, does one have to be in the first-person to understand the mind more clearly?

Philosopher Frank Jackson wrote a paper in 1982 titled “Epiphenomenal Qualia” where he introduced the famous thought experiment known as Mary’s room. It goes like this:

“Mary is a brilliant scientist who is, for whatever reason, forced to investigate the world from a black and white room via a black and white television monitor. She specializes in the neurophysiology of vision and acquires, let us suppose, all the physical information there is to obtain about what goes on when we see ripe tomatoes, or the sky, and use terms like ‘red’, ‘blue’, and so on. She discovers, for example, just which wavelength combinations from the sky stimulate the retina, and exactly how this produces via the central nervous system the contraction of the vocal cords and expulsion of air from the lungs that results in the uttering of the sentence ‘The sky is blue’. (…) What will happen when Mary is released from her black and white room or is given a color television monitor? Will she learn anything or not? It seems just obvious that she will learn something about the world and our visual experience of it. But then is it inescapable that her previous knowledge was incomplete.”

These arguments by Frank Jackson and Thomas Nagel are two of the most famous papers in support of the idea of qualia – a term used in philosophy to describe the subjective quality of conscious experience. It is an idea often associated with the mind/body dualism (the belief that the mind is in some-part nonphysical, and therefore a separate entity from our physical bodies).

The epistemic gap does not prove any such thing however, and it is perfectly compatible with a materialist view of the mind. The real questions that the epistemic gap provokes is within the field of psychology and the scientific method itself.

Science is science – we believe – because of its objective, empirical, and third-person approach to knowledge. Science has often given men the ability to step outside of the happenings of natural phenomena, study them, test them, replicate their findings, and come to conclusions.

There is no doubting the breakthroughs and advancements science has come to offer man throughout the centuries. It would be foolish to deny these achievements.

Even in Western psychology (which is quite a young field relative to the natural sciences), researchers have made incredibly discoveries of the mind and how it works. We have devised useful models for how the mind perceives sensations (Psychophysics), how it processes information, stores memories, and solves problems (Cognitive Psychology), how the mind changes throughout the human lifespan (Developmental Psychology), how the mind builds associations and how these associations affect our behaviors (Learning or Experimental Psychology), how the brain or the “physical anatomy of the mind” works (Neuropsychology), and we’ve been given the chance to take all of this information and apply it to a variety of other fields: Clinical Psychology, Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Sport Psychology, and even Forensic Psychology.

There is no denying the leaps psychology has made, all in the name of proper science. This is knowledge we would likely have not gotten any other way if it were not for the extraordinary and rigorous scientific method.

However, there is good reason to believe that Nagel and Jackson are right and that we cannot fully explain or understand a mind from an outside view. This is the belief that once science carries out its full course of discoveries that there will be something left unsaid about the mind (our understanding of the mind could never be as complete as our understanding of the physics on our planet). Unless – we redefine science.

But I believe we already have the techniques used to fully understand a mind – or at the very least, our own mind.

To understand this technique properly, we need to first drift away from the Western logical positivist philosophy of “if you can’t measure it, then it isn’t real,” which I believe has plagued much of modern day intellectual thought. Instead, I turn to the philosophies of the East – who have been studying the mind far, far longer and far more thoroughly than the West.

In particular I am fond of Buddhism which – like Western Science – takes pride in an objective approach to the study of phenomena. But there is a important property of the mind that Buddhists acknowledge and scientists go out of their way to ignore: the mind is – before all else – something that must be experienced first-person, or it wouldn’t be a mind at all.

This brings me to the practice of meditation – or more generally – a mindfulness of our inner worlds. There is a world in all of us that is subjective, personal, and completely our own. We cannot let anyone in it no matter how colorful our language or how much experience we share with another human being – it is ours and ours alone – and there are aspects to it that can only be dealt with by our self; no therapist, psychologist, family member, friend, scientist or spouse can ever figure it out for you.

Neither Buddhism or Science can rightfully claim to know how to bridge the gap between the subjective and objective. Both try their best to be objective at different vantage points: Science takes a third-person empirical approach while Buddhism takes a first-person empirical approach. Why can’t the study of the mind include both?

There is a fast growing interest in the West in meditative practices, yoga, tai chi, and other mind/body, holistic and alternative medicines for physical and mental health. This suggests there might be a vacancy in the West’s psyche, perhaps due to a combination of an incomplete scientific view of the mind along with an overwhelming nihilistic and atheistic attitude toward what would be deemed the spiritual or “mystic” aspects of man.

Many of these so called mystical practices are lumped into the demeaning pop psychology term “New Age.” Followers of so called New Age practices are said to be gullible and weak-minded – and perhaps some of them are. But it is also my belief that introspection and reflection on one’s mind can be the most rewarding and therapeutic practice for better mental health, the sharpening of one’s mental skill set, and a complete understanding of how the mind truly works (in the context of how it operates in the head of the individual and not by inference of a third-person observer).

Because of this I am very welcoming of these alternative and non-scientific studies of the mind. I in no way mean to deter scientific practices (I believe their should always be a science of the mind and a scientific study of human psychology), but I will stand up for the little guy on this one – science is not the giant be-all end-all of knowledge. It has its limitations, and we must be open to alternative studies of the mind. Sometimes we should turn our senses inward — and we may find there is some gold of truth to be discovered.

http://www.theemotionmachine.com