PSY024-6: Understanding and Addressing Bias in Forensic Science

This essay delves into the pervasive issue of bias in forensic science, exploring its origins, impact, and potential mitigation strategies. It begins by defining bias and differentiating between cognitive bias, contextual bias, confirmation bias, selection bias, and expectation bias. The essay critically analyzes the weaknesses within forensic science domains, drawing parallels between identified biases and Sir Francis Bacon's 'idols' of false understanding. It highlights the potential for distorted data to lead to wrongful convictions and emphasizes the need for awareness within the judiciary system regarding the possibility of analytical errors. Recommendations include promoting awareness of data distortion and implementing countermeasures to ensure fair administration within the justice system. The essay concludes by stressing the importance of reducing unnecessary information and acknowledging the susceptibility of forensic science practitioners to cognitive biases, advocating for continuous improvement in this evolving field.

Running head: BIAS IN FORENSIC SCIENCES
BIAS IN FORENSIC SCIENCES
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:

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Introduction:
Forensic evidence is one of the most important elements to prove one’s position and
claim in the court. The forensic evidence has a critical roe to identify the convict and avoid
making a wrong decision, thus being one of the best option to prove one guilty, since the results
are very apparent and the results of the forensic report are ultimate, bearing all the proves and
data. However, the faults and flaws in the result or the report of the forensic tests. The forensic
tests are mediated and influenced by the human and the cognitive factors. Therefore, there is a
huge science involved in the process and the in the decision making which is not only
interesting, but at the same time it is quite alluding as well, and especially for the forensic
scientists. Therefore, the recent occurrences of continuous mistakes and the wrong answers and
interpretations, are regarded essentially as the bias in the forensic sciences. According to the
researchers, the forensic departments are more focused into the data and the underlying science
of the entire process. The researchers have opined that the modern day’s forensic scientists are
more interested in the process of data configuration, in a way that the process of reviving the
evidence was not given any priority. It was projected as if the use of since to revive the data or
the information, and the interpretation of the information are mutually exclusive therefore more
focus was provided to the data reviving process and the interpretation of the revived information
is portrayed as remaining to be in isolation. Therefore, it is seen that there is an increasing rate of
biasness involved in the filed of forensic research, and this biasness is involved in the decision
making process (Dror et al., 2015). There are potential examples, where the researchers have
concluded, that the forensic department had been more interested in the applied science behind
the process, that the revival of the data had git less amount of significance which therefore,
impacted upon the data and the information. The national Research Council in US, in 2009, and

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the inquiry of fingerprinting in 2011 and 2015, in United Kingdom, followed by a Presidential
Panel, in 2016, in US, all had come across with a similar concern regarding the use and the
patterning of the data reviving process and stated that there had been a potential bias in all these
situations.
Therefore, in the following essay, a discussion will be presented on the impact of the
biasness in the forensic science. The essay will start with identifying the resource of this
biasness, then gradually moving forward to the impact of such a biasness in the field. In the end,
the how this biasness can be acknowledged and accounted will also be analysed through the
essay.
Essay Question:
The aim of the following essay is to develop an understanding of the way these biasness
in the decision making process is formed or generated and therefore, the essay will develop an
understanding of the impact that can be made by the potential amount of biasness involved in the
forensic science. In the end a recommendation has also been made in order to mitigate these
biased situations.
Key Definitions:
Bias is an inborn nature of man, and everyone around are susceptible to bias. Therefore,
before initiating the discussion of how bias can be effective, either positively or negatively it is
important to understand what is meant by bias. The bias can be defined as a predisposition
amongst men to decide and understand something in a certain way, and considering forensic
science, bias can be understood in two ways, one, to interpret the meaning of the information that
are revived in a certain way which will be doing justice to the apprehension that has made the
forensic test to take place. On the other hand a biasness can also be experienced in the processing

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of the forensic test, rather than interpreting the information involved. However, in the following
discussion the cognitive type of bias is included, as the biasness is found to take place more in
case of the cognitive type of bias. The cognitive bias refers to the preconceived notion of the
people, and a cognitive type of bias takes place when one tries to see what he or she has expected
to see (Nakhaeizadeh, Dror, & Morgan, 2014). Therefore, this often impacts upon the decision
making process of the person, who is a part of the test and leads to the distortion of data and
information in the process, thus distorting the information or the finding of the research. The
cognitive bias can further be differentiated into four, including the Contextual Bias, which refers
to the occurrence of the bias influenced by a number of external information. Often the
associated information influences the data configuration process.
The next form of cognitive bias is the confirmation bias, which takes place when the
researchers try to put more weight on the evidence that favour their hypothesis, and ignore the
ones which are contradictory to their understanding (Cole, 2013).
A third type of cognitive bias is the selection bias, which is statistical in nature and refers
to the forms of biasness whereby a researcher to identify the right person from a group of data or
population.
Lastly, the expectation bias refers to the conclusion drawn by the researchers based on
their hypothesis without experimenting all the available data. This takes place, when the
researchers tend to avoid the analysis of all the available data and thereupon drawing a
conclusion.
Therefore, all these forms of biasness impact upon the decision making especially
considering the courtroom situations, and also it impacts upon the research that is being
executed.

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Critical Analysis:
The biasness involved in the forensic science departments has experienced potential
amount of criticism. According the National Research Council there are delineated weaknesses
within the forensic science domains. The common belief among the scientists are this, that since
the forensic researchers are provided with an array of extraneous information, therefore, it is
difficult for them to understand and therefore conclude upon the actual information. In this
notion it is important to mention the name of Sir Francis Bacon, who believed that the
foundation of the modern science is based on the belief that if the unrelated and irrelevant factors
can be avoided, then only the objective result or answer can be reached or attained. Bacon had
come up with the concept of “idols”, stating that these idols are the obstacles in the oath of the
modern science that will bar the same from attaining or developing the absolute truth. He had
also included the psychological doctrine of men or the scientists and discussed about the
potential contribution of the same in developing the true knowledge in the modern science.
Therefore, he had developed four idols that can be considered as a bar to the attainment of the
absolute truth. The first is the Idols of the Tribe, which refers to the false understanding of men
as their natural instinct (Kassin, Dror, & Kukucka, 20132). People often have the notion that
their understanding is the ultimate and regarded it as to be the true one.
The second is the Idols of the Cave, which refers to the passions and the enthusiasms of
the individuals which often lead them to the wrong understanding.
The third idol is the Idols of the Marketplace, which refers to the incorporation of the
political aspects and political sphere with the data management or within the fields of science.
The enlightenment founder had stated that politics is everywhere and the political agenda can
even influence the science and the scientific discourses.

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Lastly, the Idols of Theatre, according to the philosopher refers to the wisdom and
knowledge received and included by men. He has shown that men, in the passion and light of
their knowledge often distorts their own configurations and their own way of organization of the
data.
Therefore, if the types of bias which are already been identified, are considered, then it
can be seen that the idols and the factors of bias are quite similar and they can be comparable.
For example, the idols of the tribe can be identified with the confirmation bias. In both the cases
the interpretation of the data is misguided by the confidence of the researcher. The idols of cave
can be compared with the selection bias, whereby, the passion of the researcher often lead to the
distortion of the data. Thirdly, the idols of marketplace can be compared with the contextual bias,
whereby the external information create an influence upon the data processing and the
interpretation of the data. Lastly, the idols of theatre, can be compared with the expectation bias,
whereby, the researchers are often blinded by their knowledge and their passion, which bar them
from the needed interpretation of the results (Dror, 2017).
Therefore, considering the courtroom situation, it is observed that these aspects are often
ignored by the court. The court or the justice system has a blind faith upon the results of the
forensic the, and the results cannot be challenged. Therefore, the distortion of the data, which
often takes place, lead to the punishment of the innocent while the one, who is guilty roam
around freely. Also, the impact of political agendas are often seen to have motivated and
therefore, influenced the research details (Stoel, Dror, & Miller, 2014).
Similarly, the expected bias or the selection bias or the confirmation bias all are
motivated by the wrong understanding of the researchers or the blinded understanding of the
researchers, therefore, it is often seen that the researchers motivated by their knowledge and

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alluded by the application and the offerings made by this particular modern research, are often
seen to have growing a bias blond spot, which potentially affect the results and the interpretation
of the same. The researchers often present their interpretation and their judgements with
immense confidence which makes it undefinable for the judge to have state that there is a glitch
in the test (Wells, Wilford, & Smalarz, 2013). Therefore, this acceptance by the court make the
researchers believe that they were not being biased, rather it sanctifies their judgements.
Therefore, such a situation potentially affect the decisions or the court and makes a crime go
unnoticed and unjustified.
Recommendation:
Since the forensic science is a recent development and a modern growth in the ventures
of science, therefore, the wrong decisions and the false notions are so implicit, that they cannot
be easily found or discovered. However, certain measures must be included immediately, and
these include,
First, is that, the awareness regarding the distortion of the data and the wrong analogy of
the researchers must be communicated and announced. It is very important that the judiciary
system of the countries grow this conception that there can be a wrong analysis by the
researchers (Stoel et al., 2014).
Secondly, it must be ensured that this biasness can influence the scientific analysis and
this would be a substantial step towards implementing the countermeasures which must be
incorporated, in the judiciary system, thus ensuring a fair administration system (Stoel et al.,
2014).
Conclusion:

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The available literature supports that the idea of the susceptibility among the forensic
science practitioners towards various forms of cognitive bias. Also, the potential value of the
procedures and the need for reducing the unnecessary information, must be understood by the
judiciary system, as well as by the researchers. Since, it is one of the most recently developed
arena of science, therefore, the experts or the practitioners are always trying to invest their
knowledge and their understanding into it, and also, they are trying to experiment in this filed.
Therefore, it is observed that the experiments often lead towards data configuration and data
distortion, which influences upon the interpretation of the results. Therefore, it is the role of the
researchers, to understand the significance of correct analogy and analysis of the information.
They must also understand that upon being given a case it is important to stick to the case, and
therefore, pattern the analysis according to that.

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References:
Cole, S. A. (2013). Implementing counter-measures against confirmation bias in forensic
science.
Dror, I. E. (2017). Human expert performance in forensic decision making: seven different
sources of bias. Australian Journal of Forensic Sciences, 49(5), 541-547.
Dror, I. E., Thompson, W. C., Meissner, C. A., Kornfield, I., Krane, D., Saks, M., & Risinger, M.
(2015). Letter to the editor-context management toolbox: a linear sequential unmasking
(LSU) approach for minimizing cognitive bias in forensic decision making.
Kassin, S. M., Dror, I. E., & Kukucka, J. (2013). The forensic confirmation bias: Problems,
perspectives, and proposed solutions. Journal of applied research in memory and
cognition, 2(1), 42-52.
Nakhaeizadeh, S., Dror, I. E., & Morgan, R. M. (2014). Cognitive bias in forensic anthropology:
visual assessment of skeletal remains is susceptible to confirmation bias. Science &
Justice, 54(3), 208-214.
Stoel, R. D., Berger, C., Kerkhoff, W., Mattijssen, E. J. A. T., Dror, I. E., Hickman, M., &
Strom, K. (2014). Minimizing contextual bias in forensic casework. Forensic science and
the administration of justice: Critical issues and directions, 67, 67-86.
Stoel, R. D., Dror, I. E., & Miller, L. S. (2014). Bias among forensic document examiners: Still a
need for procedural changes. Australian Journal of Forensic Sciences, 46(1), 91-97.
Wells, G. L., Wilford, M. M., & Smalarz, L. (2013). Forensic science testing: The forensic filler-
control method for controlling contextual bias, estimating error rates, and calibrating
analysts’ reports. Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, 2(1), 53-55.