Forensic Science Domains: Cognitive Bias and Quality Systems

Vocabulary practice covering cognitive biases, forensic testimony safeguards, and quality management systems including root cause analysis steps and terminology.

Cognitive bias

Mental shortcuts or influences that can affect judgment and decision-making.

Confirmation bias

Favoring information that supports existing beliefs or expectations.

Suspect-driven bias

Bias caused by knowing details about a suspect or case.

Base-rate expectations

Expectations formed from previous experiences or common outcomes.

Task-relevant information

Information necessary to complete the forensic analysis, such as the type of sample collected.

Task-irrelevant information

Information not needed for analysis that may introduce bias, such as confession details or criminal history.

Blinding

Preventing analysts from seeing unnecessary case information.

Linear sequential unmasking (LSU)

Revealing information gradually so analysts first evaluate evidence independently.

Peer review

Independent review that may catch influenced interpretations or errors to reduce bias.

Inappropriate influence

Pressure from outside parties, such as an investigator requesting a match, affecting scientific judgment.

Adversarial system

Legal system where opposing sides present competing arguments, which may exert pressure from prosecution or defense expectations.

Overstated testimony

Scientific phrasing to avoid, such as "This evidence absolutely proves guilt," because forensic conclusions have limitations and uncertainty.

Just culture

A culture encouraging reporting of mistakes without unfair punishment, focusing on learning, accountability, and improvement.

Continuous improvement

Ongoing effort to improve laboratory quality and performance to reduce errors and improve reliability.

Quality Management System (QMS)

Structured system ensuring quality and consistency in laboratory operations, including SOPs, audits, and training.

SOPs

Standard Operating Procedures.

Root cause analysis (RCA)

A process used to identify the underlying cause of a problem.

Symptom

A visible effect of a problem, such as a broken instrument.

Root cause

The underlying issue of a problem, such as a poor maintenance program.

“5 Whys” technique

Asking “why” repeatedly to uncover the root cause of a problem.

Fishbone diagram

A tool used to categorize possible causes of a problem.

Corrective action

Action taken to fix an existing problem, such as recalibrating an instrument.

Preventive action

Action taken to prevent future problems, such as adding a routine maintenance schedule.

Quality assurance

Activities ensuring laboratory processes meet standards.