Clothing, style and attitude are all helpful indicators. However, to avoid allowing our cognitive biases to mislead us, we must be ready to accept new evidence as it appears and not merely twist new evidence to suit our preconceived notions about the individual in question.
This objectivity is easy to attain with criminals who don't challenge us very deeply, but those offenders who have committed wrongs that we find especially egregious - we find the most difficult to be objective.
One way to practice this skill is to become familiar with the mental shortcuts our minds take in reaching conclusions.
Clothing, style and attitude are all helpful indicators. However, to avoid allowing our cognitive biases to mislead us, we must be ready to accept new evidence as it appears and not merely twist new evidence to suit our preconceived notions about the individual in question.
This objectivity is easy to attain with criminals who don't challenge us very deeply, but those offenders who have committed wrongs that we find especially egregious - we find the most difficult to be objective.
One way to practice this skill is to become familiar with the mental shortcuts our minds take in reaching conclusions.