Forensic Science - Bias & Critical Thinking

What is critical thinking?

Reasonable, reflective thinking focused on deciding what to believe or do.

What is cognitive bias?

A systematic deviation in judgement leading to illogical conclusions.

Name 3 common cognitive biases in forensics.

• Expectation bias.

• Confirmation bias.

• Contextual bias.

What is contextual bias?

When external information or expectations influence judgement.

What is confirmation bias?

Searching only for evidence that supports an expected conclusion.

What is anchoring bias?

Over-reliance on initial information when forming conclusions.

What are role effects?

Forgetting the duty of independence, impartiality and integrity.

What are reconstructive effects?

Relying on memory instead of contemporaneous notes.

What is expectation bias?

Seeing what you expect to see when evidence is ambiguous.

What are bias countermeasures in forensic science?

• Structured methods (ACE-V).

• Awareness training.

• Method development.

• Blinding.

What is blinding in forensic analysis?

Providing only necessary information to prevent contextual bias.

What does ACE-V stand for?

• Analysis.

• Comparison.

• Evaluation.

• Verification.

What is CAI?

Case assessment and interpretation using Bayesian methods.

What are the 2 phases of CAI?

Assessment and interpretation.

What is the CSI effect?

TV shows creating unrealistic expectations of forensic science.

What is juror bias?

Pre-existing beliefs influencing the evaluation of forensic evidence.