| Given an archival sample of 59 serial homicide offenders, the present research attempted to abide by the theoretical framework outlined in personality psychology to evaluate the basic tenets of profiling methods, namely the temporal stability and cross-situational consistency of serial offenders' behaviour. Through multidimensional scaling techniques, behavioural themes of control, hostility, and involvement were delineated along with associated scales. Offenders were then quantified on the degree to which they manifested these themes in the context of both the criminal domain (i.e., crime scene behaviours) and non-criminal domain (i.e., background characteristics). Stability and consistency were equated with the degree to which offenders maintained their respective rank orders along these quantitative scales over time and across situations, respectively. Adhering to this definitional criterion, the current sample was found to display high levels of temporal stability across respective crime series, thus supporting the conclusions of previous research. Although violated at a general level, the cross-situational consistency assumption was met under qualified conditions. Namely, levels of consistency were moderated by both offender type and the nature of the behavioural theme considered, with predominantly controlling offenders and the control theme itself displaying the highest levels of consistency (and stability) relative to the remaining offender types and behavioural themes. Practical and theoretical implications for methods of criminal profiling are discussed. |
