Psychology Lecture

Psychology Lecture

 

Psychology of a Serial Killer

Our Year 13 Psychology pupils attended a talk by expert forensics lecturer Jennifer Rees to explore one of forensic psychology’s most troubling topics, serial killers. The 12 psychologists were able to discover how serial killers are classified and what differences there are between lust killers like Dennis Hader, the BTK Killer, and visionary (imagined voices or commands) killers such as David Berkowitz, Son of Sam. She also used the opportunity to debunk common serial killer myths and used case studies to illustrate. 

Isabella B 

“The talk explained some reasoning behind why people may commit such crimes by looking into a range of case studies, some well-known and others less so. The speaker explained the importance of the brain’s neurological makeup and how there is a relationship between abnormalities in the pre-frontal cortex which are linked to people having anti-social behaviour. 

“She also discussed the importance of environmental factors and the upbringing of a person. She introduced us to the fascinating case of Jim Fallon who had the supposed ‘brain of a serial killer’ however never committed any crimes due to his mother's parenting. I felt this talk was not only very interesting and enjoyable, it also really complemented and enhanced what we are learning at the moment in our lessons.” 

Katie S 

“The lecture was incredibly informative, speaking about the reasons why people became serial killers such as defects in the brain as well as issues in childhood that may have caused the behaviour. I found it very interesting and highly beneficial for both my course and my wider interest in the subject of criminology. I highly recommend this trip to other pupils studying Psychology if it is run in the future.”