The Mind of a Killer

Omar Romero- Cruz

PSY 101

Dr. Russell

March 13, 2016

The Mind of a Killer

        The fil Inside the Mind of a Killer shows an interview on Joel Rifkin, a serial killer that kill 17 women. It was fascinating having a serial killer being interview and find out the reason why he killed. This paper is on my view of the film, the reasons why someone becomes a serial killer, me personally study serial killers, and the areas we still need to research to understand serial killers.    

        It was very interest that Joel Rifkin wanted to know why he kill 17 women. This case was very interest because Rifkin had barely any motive to do so. I like how his background story is not as different as few of us non killers background. Overall his child hood seemed very nice until his high school years. Yet, a lot of had at least one or multiple experience of bullying. The way he was portray and acted in the fill looks like he is just your average looking men walking down the street. Usually the serial killer knows what his motive is on why he killed, but in this case he did not and that’s what made it so interesting. How and what are the reasons Rifkin kill all those women.  

        One of the reasons the film show why anyone is capable of serial killing is that many of the killers were taunted as children. Then the film ask the question, can constant humiliation and abuse lead to violence? The theory was tested using the aggressive behavior of hamsters to study how abuse may lead to violence. Studies of primates were shown in the film, showing that emotional abuse is just as damaging. Joel did have difficulty with tests that challenged his ability to follow instructions while ignoring conflicting information. This indicates that Joel’s brain did not function properly. However, Joel’s IQ test was above average to almost superior which is probably why he was able to kill so many times without being caught. The video indicate a genetic connection, a brain with frontal lobe dysfunction is a brain vulnerable to violence.  This is because the frontal lobe is responsible for mediating, moderating, and regulating behavior. Damage to the frontal lobe may cause problems with impulse control making it difficult to stop a motor responses despite the desire to do so.

        Personally yes I would study serial killers. I would probably do research on the killer’s behavior. Now the reason why I said yes is because I actually want to be a criminal profiler when I am done with college. So, yes being a criminal profiler means I will have to talk and study serial killers as part of my job. I want to learn and know why are these people are going out in the world and kill people. I want to know what’s there motive and how they became what they are right now. What influence them to become a killer? I find it very interesting the different motives and reasons why these killers committed murder, is just so fascinate that there life could be exactly like your life, but with just one small change and that difference can change the life and identity of that person.