LibGuides: PSY-6517 v1: Lesson 2 Resources

Lesson 2 Resources

Investigative Psychology: Offender Profiling and the Analysis of Criminal Action

Canter, D. V., & Youngs, D. (2009). Investigative psychology: Offender profiling and the analysis of criminal action. Wiley. Read Chapter 1.

Chapter 1 gives an overview of the field and how it relates to the investigative process. This included discussing efficacy, appropriate inferences, and decision making in the bridge between police work and psychology.

Access the RedShelf book from your course in the Getting Started module or from the Bookshelf link on the top navigation bar.

Behavioral Analysts
Federal Bureau of Investigations. (2011, May 2). Behavioral analysts [Podcast]. FBI.
Ever watched the TV program Criminal Minds? Listen to this myth-busting podcast including an interview with FBI profilers to find out what the Behavioral Analysis Unit does and does not do. Audio and a transcript are both available.
Investigative Programs: Critical Incident Response Group
Investigative Programs: Critical Incident Response Group (n.d). Federal Bureau of Investigations.
This resource looks at different groups in the FBI which do forms of profiling under the National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime (NCAVC), including the different Behavioral Analysis Units. Be sure to look at the different pages you can click on to see more information on the site.
Possible Attackers? A Comparison Between the Behaviors and Stressors of Persons of Concern and Active Shooters
Gibson, K. A., Craun, S. W., Ford, A. G., Solik, K., & Silver, J. (2020). Possible attackers? A comparison between the behaviors and stressors of persons of concern and active shooters. Journal of Threat Assessment and Management, 7(1–2), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1037/tam0000147
In this article, the authors discuss similar tactics to profiling in determining would-be active shooters, an avenue of work in the field of investigative psychology.
Critical Incidents in a Forensic Psychiatric Population: An Exploratory Study of Motivational Factors
Ireland, C. A., Halpin, L., & Sullivan, C. (2014). Critical incidents in a forensic psychiatric population: An exploratory study of motivational factors. Journal of Forensic Psychiatry & Psychology, 25(6), 714–732. https://doi.org/10.1080/14789949.2014.955809
In this article, authors discussing elements related to profiles in critical incident events, which would assist an investigative psychologist understand profiling in that context.
Questioning the Validity of Criminal Profiling: An Evidence-Based Approach
Chifflet, P. (2015). Questioning the validity of criminal profiling: an evidence-based approach. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology, 48(2), 238-255.
In this article, Chifflet dives deeper into the validity of criminal profiling by critically examining different approaches.
Profiling and Serial Crime: Theoretical and Practical Issues in Behavioural Profiling
W. A. Petherick (Ed.). (2009). Profiling and serial crime: Theoretical and practical issues in behavioural profiling (3rd ed.). Anderson Publishing.
Read Chapter 3.
In this chapter, you will dive deeper into the reliability and validity of offender profiling, as well as understand the link between profiling and risk assessment research.
Disentangling Criminal Profiling: Accuracy, Homology and the Myth of Trait Based Profiling
Kocsis, R. N., & Palermo, G. B. (2015). Disentangling criminal profiling: Accuracy, homology and the myth of trait based profiling. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 59(3), 313–332.
Take a deep dive into some of the latest research and theory in this area, led by key researchers and theorists.

Kaltura User Guide
National University (2023). Kaltura User Guide. Graduate Studies Support Center.
This resource includes instructions for recording and uploading videos into courses using Kaltura.

Optional Reading

Investigative Psychology: Offender Profiling and the Analysis of Criminal Action

Canter, D. V., & Youngs, D. (2009). Investigative psychology: Offender profiling and the analysis of criminal action. Wiley. Read Chapter 2.

Chapter 2 provides more historical background and relates the different descriptors for the field.

Access the RedShelf book from your course in the Getting Started module or from the Bookshelf link on the top navigation bar.