1st Edition
Experiments in Anti-Social Behaviour Ten Studies for Students
For a practical, hands-on approach to learning forensic psychology, Experiments in Anti-Social Behaviour: Ten Studies for Students presents a collection of unique projects for students that illustrate the many ways research into anti-social behaviour can be conducted whilst also highlighting social psychological aspects of criminality.
Drawing on over half a century of supervising many hundreds of projects at high school, undergraduate, master's, and doctoral levels, David Canter provides well-grounded and detailed guidance for students on how to execute a range of different research studies through several psychological approaches, including quantitative cognitive studies, qualitative discourse analysis, and social identity theory. After introducing the ethical and practical challenges of studying crime and criminality, Experiments in Anti-Social Behaviour outlines broad approaches to research. This is followed by ten practical studies for students to carry out in order to engage directly with experimental research. These studies cover experiments, surveys, and case studies, and include a controlled examination of how easy it is to forge a signature, descriptions of experiments trying to detect deception, and an exploration of what is involved in linking actions in a serial killer’s crimes to his characteristics.
Both engaging and interactive, Experiments in Anti-Social Behaviour is an invaluable resource for instructors and students from colleges and universities around the world in many different fields, such as psychology, criminology, and socio-legal studies. It will also be of interest to all those who want to know more about the psychology of crime and criminality.
Section 1. Challenges and Concerns when Studying Anti-Social Activity
Section 2. Approaches to Research Section 3. Ten Studies
Part 1. Experiments
1. How to Forge a Signature
2. Detecting Deception
3. Profiling Serial Killers
4. Geographical Offender Profiling
Part 2. Surveys
5. Exploring Crime Seriousness
6. The Seductions of Crime
Part 3. Case Studies
7. How Fraudsters Persuade
8. Justifications for Criminality
9. How to Rob a Bank
Part 4. Simulation
10. Exploring Investigative and Criminal Networks
Biography
David Canter is internationally known for his many publications in environmental psychology and creating the field of investigative psychology. He has supervised research projects for over half a century, at every level from schools to PhDs, as well as large-scale studies for government departments, industry and research councils.
"I am very happy to recommend this book, which contains detailed practical advice about how to carry out research projects on antisocial behaviour. It should appeal particularly to forensic psychology and criminology students, but everyone who is interested in antisocial behaviour will derive useful information from it." —David Farrington, Cambridge University, UK
"David Canter reveals his experience as a seasoned, practicing social scientist by embracing ‘…the value of doing science, rather than just reading about it…’. The ten invaluable studies in this book encapsulate the lifeblood of Crime Psychology." —Benjamin Baughman, Mercyhurst University, USA
"David Canter’s expertise shines through this book and a good deal of the material—notably the discussion of forgery, fraud, and geographical profiling—will, I’m sure, interest crime writers and all those interested in true-crime, and perhaps surprise them." —Martin Edwards, former chair of the Crime Writers Association, UK
"The book is great. It poses some interesting and complex ideas while still being easy to understand." —Rosie Jacobs, Sixth Form (High School) student, UK
"This book is easy to read and provides a lot of useful and easy to understand details of how to carry out studies and make sense of the results. These are things that I had to learn over a period of time from here and there that would mostly use maths jargon. Seeing it all in one place makes it significantly easier." —Miraslava Yaneva, MSc student, UK
