DECISION-MAKING

CRIMINAL MINDS, S04E03, MINIMAL LOSS

Show Summary
Based in Quantico, Virginia, the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) is a subsection of the FBI. Called in by local police departments to assist in solving crimes of a serial and/or extremely violent nature where the perpetrator is unknown (referred to by the Unit as the unknown subject or unsub for short), the BAU use the controversial scientific art of profiling to track and apprehend the unsub. Profiling entails coming up with basic characteristics of the unsub and the victims (referred to as the victimology), using evidence from the case and matching that information to historic precedents and psychological analyses as a means to solve the case. Because of the nature of the work conducted by the BAU - the work being time consuming and psychologically demanding - its members are fiercely loyal to the Unit and to its other members. Also because of the work's overall demanding nature, not many members of the BAU have been able to maintain a happy or stable family life.

Cast of Characters

Aaron Hotchner, portrayed by Thomas Gibson (Season 1present), is the unit chief of the BAU team. David Rossi, portrayed by Joe Mantegna (Season 3, episode 6present), is a Senior Supervisory Special. Derek Morgan, portrayed by Shemar Moore (Season 1present), is a Supervisory Special Agent and is a confident, assertive, and often hot-tempered character. Emily Prentiss, portrayed by Paget Brewster (Season 2, episode 9present), is a Supervisory Special Agent. Dr. Spencer Reid, portrayed by Matthew Gray Gubler (Season 1present), is a Supervisory Special Agent. He is the youngest BAU member. Jennifer "JJ" Jareau, portrayed by AJ Cook (Season 15; Season 6, 4 episodes; Season 7present), is a Supervisory Special Agent. Penelope Garcia, portrayed by Kirsten Vangsness (Recurring season 1; Seasons 2present), is the team's technical analyst.

Starling D. Hunter III 2012 | starling@qatar.cmu.edu| Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar | http://qatar.cmu.edu

Episode Recap
Two FBI agents, Emily Prentiss and Spencer Reid, head to a church; whose pastor is Benjamin Cyrus, along with a child protection agent after getting a call about a young girl there who is being sexually abused. The all agree on acting as if they are child experts, and not mentioning that they are with the FBI. The young girl, Jessie Evanson, states that she is married to Cyrus. Since she is only fifteen years old, they needed her mothers consent, whose name is Kathy. After that, police arrives and Cyrus takes everyone to the basement. Nancy attempts to talk to the police but gets shot at and dies. The rest of the FBI team look for information about the previous pastor and arrive to the crime scene along with David, who is the leader of the FBI team.

Discussion Questions
1. Identify the six most significant decisions made in the episode. 2. Which ones are programmed and non-programmed? Which are individual and which are group decisions? 3. Which decisions, if any, make it all the way through the 7-stage decision making process? 4. What are the major behavioral influences on these decisions? 5. Is the group decision-making negatively influenced by any behavioral factors (see p. 473)

Solutions
Write to starling@qatar.cmu.edu to obtain a copy of the solution to this case.

Starling D. Hunter III 2012 | starling@qatar.cmu.edu| Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar | http://qatar.cmu.edu