Interview of a Psychopath
I need help with a Psychology question. All explanations and answers will be used to help me learn.
Interview of a Psychopath
Sitting in a small, locked room alone with a serial killer who has murdered, mutilated, and cannibalized several female college students might be cause for concern even for a forensic interviewer such as yourself. The killer exhibits several psychopathic traits that would rate him high on the Psychopathy Checklist Revised (PCL-R), a 0- to 40-point scale used in measuring psychopathy. He is a formidable looking man at 69 and 300 lbs. and has an IQ of 145. He is not restrained; he sits quietly at the table. Everyone who knows him at the prison finds him likeable. Of course, no one has ever crossed him either. You realize that if he decides to kill you, he could do so easily before help could arrive. This is an actual case scenario where the interview suddenly spiraled out of control.
For this Assignment, you will examine the Ed Kemper and Bob Ressler interview paying attention to the questions that were asked as well as the way they were asked. As you place yourself in the position of the interviewer, what would you have done differently?
To prepare for this Assignment:
- Review the video Forensic Insights: Story of Kemper and Ressler from this weeks Learning Resources.
- Read the Learning Resources, paying specific attention to the Bonn article.
By Day 7
Write a 2- to 3-page paper in which you:
- Describe any psychopathic traits Kemper may have displayed in the scenario.
- Explain what the interviewer, Ressler, may have done wrong.
- Explain how Ressler could have neutralized the situation.
- Explain neutralization techniques you would use in a similar situation.
Required Readings
Case Study: The Flawed Interview of a Psychotic Killer: What Went Wrong? by Perri, F.S., in Journal of Investigative Psychology and Offender Profiling, Vol. 8/Issue 3. Copyright 2011 by John Wiley & Sons – Journals. Reprinted by permission of John Wiley & Sons – Journals via the Copyright Clearance Center.
Bonn, S. A. (2014). The real life horror tale of the twisted co-ed killer. Psychology Today. Retrieved from
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/wicked-deeds/…
Walters, S. B. (2011). The psychopath as an interrogation subject. The Interview Room. Retrieved from
http://interview-interrogation.com/category/psycho…
