Theoretical Analysis of the Biological Basis for Serial Killers' Cooling-Off Periods
| dc.contributor.advisor | Dudukovic, Nicole | |
| dc.contributor.advisor | Tublitz, Nathan | |
| dc.contributor.advisor | Casement, Melynda | |
| dc.contributor.author | Dilly, Harriet | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2021-07-27T18:44:52Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2021-07-27T18:44:52Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2021 | |
| dc.description | 75 pages | |
| dc.description.abstract | Although serial killers have been meticulously studied, there is still much to be learned about particular behaviors exhibited by these offenders. In particular, minimal research exists on the phenomena of serial killers’ cooling-off periods. Most definitions of serial killers mention the temporal separation between crimes that distinguish them from other kinds of multi-victim murders; however, due to a lack of empirical research it has been difficult to determine the function or cause of cooling-off periods. There has been a recent uptick in research published on cooling-off periods as interest in the neural activity of serial-killers has increased and as brain scanning technology has become more accessible. However, due to the inherent limitations of brain scans, there exists demand for an alternative method to understanding the function and cause of cooling-off periods. First proposed by M.V Simkin and V.P. Roychowdhury in 2014, it is hypothesized that cooling-off periods may be compared to the refractory periods of neurons during the propagation of action potentials. This approach is considered analogical and will remain as such until definitive evidence is produced showing a biological linkage between the two phenomena. This thesis applied this hypothesis to ten cases of prolific serial killers and looked to verify trends seen in previous research on cooling-off periods. It was concluded that the previous observed patterns were not applicable across all killers and the connection between refractory periods and cooling-off periods will remain speculative until further empirical research is done. | en_US |
| dc.identifier.orcid | 0000-0001-9390-7311 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/1794/26507 | |
| dc.language.iso | en_US | |
| dc.publisher | University of Oregon | |
| dc.rights | CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 | |
| dc.subject | serial killers | en_US |
| dc.subject | cooling-off period | en_US |
| dc.subject | neural refractory period | en_US |
| dc.subject | serial murder | en_US |
| dc.subject | serial murderers | en_US |
| dc.title | Theoretical Analysis of the Biological Basis for Serial Killers' Cooling-Off Periods | |
| dc.type | Thesis/Dissertation |