Assignment 2: Principles of Investigative Psychology

Over the last two hundred years, criminal investigations have become progressively more sophisticated and are based on solid scientific principles. Psychologists involved in analysis of the personality and behavioral characteristics of an offender have made significant contributions to the understanding of a crime and its perpetrator.

Using the module readings and the Argosy University online library resources, research the main principles of investigative psychology.

Respond to the following:

• Identify and describe the main principles of investigative psychology.

• Describe criminal investigation from a historical perspective, emphasizing the contribution of psychology to this field.

• Explain the origins of offender profiling and the reasons some profiling attempts, such as physiognomy, have failed while others, such as behavioral analysis, have been successful.

• Identify the different components of an investigative cycle.

• Explain the differences between the scientific method of data collection and the scientific method of evidence collection and the differences between the inductive process and the deductive process.