Profiling: Media Frenzy, Scientific Failure

I have been noticing a slight decrease of late regarding the enormous number of profiling emails I receive daily. Is the profiling fad starting to disappear? I doubt it. It's probably an artifact of the time of season. The profiling television shows are in their off season (and actually none are returning in the fall) and no profiling movies are inspiring new layman's. It will be interesting to see if the near release of a film sequel to Silence of the Lambs will inspire a new mountain of mail.

The current decline aside, profiling is still an amazingly popular subject. The first emails I received were from layman's, primarily psychology undergraduates and aspiring high school students. Of late, I have seen an interesting influx of police officers and administration querying me for information. This is interesting, particularly because in the past a lot of police officers I have talked to did not like the psychological consultants "moving in on their territory."

The current popularity of profiling carries far beyond the online community. In November, I co-guest lectured an introduction to profiling in a forensics science class. The lecture was very well attended and the students appeared keenly interested. In April, I was contacted by a talk radio station in California that wanted to put me on the air to discuss profiling (I was forced to turn them down; lets not forget that I am still a student).

These days the contribution of a profiler to a case can ensue confidence and comfort in the general public. In my area there is reason to believe a serial-stabber is currently active. After months of nothing to report to the upset and impatient public, a headline announced that a profiler was being brought onto the case. I have not heard anything about the case since, but new of the upset public seems to have also disappeared.

With the amazing "celebrity" now being attributed to profiling (and some profilers) you would think some sort of agent or media consultant has been promoting the field. The question is what has created this massive popularity.

It is certainly not scientific breakthroughs. The literature on the field is ludicrously vague and limited. Granted some others are popping out books like mad men riding on the coat tails of the fields massive media success. However, for the most part these texts are not offering anything new. Most books are a narrative of previous (limited) research. The heart of scientific knowledge lays in empirical research and experimental journal publications. Most of the articles out there are literature review of extremely limited usage. Validity studies are minimal and riddled with small sample sizes and questionable controls and methodology.

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