Confirmational and Contextual Bias Flashcards
(34 cards)
List the three types of bias discussed in class.
Cognitive bias
Contextual bias
Confirmation bias
Define cognitive bias.
A broad term that includes a variety of subconscious processed that may lead to inaccurate judgments or interpretations.
What can cognitive biases effect?
3
Memory
Reasoning
Decision-making
True or false: Cognitive bias was one of the research needs identified in the NAS Report?
True
Describe contextual bias
The effect of information or outside influences on the evaluation and interpretation of data.
Give examples of things that could lead to contextual bias.
4
Crime fits the M/O of a person who steal specific model vehicles in a specfic neighbourhood often
Eyewitness accounts
Information provided by other investigators
Information provided by other fingerprint examiners
What is a potential impact of contextual bias?
Can create conclusions that are incorrect and not based in objectivity
Define confirmation bias.
The tendency to search for data or interpret information in a manner that supports one’s perception.
When does confirmation bias occur?
When we lose our ability to be objective.
What have studies of social judgment shown about cognitive bias/
When people are in favour of a certain belief, they tend to seek out evidence and interpret information that follows their beliefs by giving positive evidence more weight than it deserves.
They also do not look for and reject information that would disprove their beliefs.
Define the PATRIOT ACT
Uniting and strengthening America by:
Providing
Appropriate
Tools
Required to
INtercept and
Obctruct
Terrorism
Give examples of contextual bias exhibited in the Brandon Mayfield case.
3
Profiling - religious beliefs
The client he was defending in court (Brandon thus “fit the profile”)
They onlt had photgraphs of the macro shots of the fingerprints, no access to the physical exhibit
Give examples of confirmation bias in the Brandon Mayfield case.
4
An FBI FIngerprint Examiner identified the print to Mayfield and a verifier confirmed the findings
Spanish authorities identified the print to someone else
Mayfield never left the country - how would his fingerprints be on the bags?
Wiretaps were fruitless and not mentioned in court docs
Describe the FBI external panel in the Brandon Mayfield case.
Outsiders from several countries in various government agencies were selected to be on a review panel by the FBI
Included RCMP
What were the major findings of the FBI External Panel for the Brandon Mayfield case?
3
Initial examiner failed to conduct a complete analysis of the impression before the AFIS search
Overconfidence in AFIS
COnfirmation bias since the verifier knew the print was an identification
Outline the process of fingerprint analysis.
5
Process scene
Develop print
ACE-V begins
Fingerprint is submitted/not submitted
Comparison, Evaluation, Verification
Outline the process of scene/exhibit processing
6
Overall photographs (4 corners)
Overall, mid, close with markers
Close-up with and without scale
Linking photographs
Mapping
Processing exhibits - DNA, prints
Outline the process of exhibit processing.
3
Swab
Process for fingerprints
Photograph fingerprints
Outline the guidelines for photographing fingerprints
4
Overall, mid, close with regular lens
As close as possible with macro lens
High f-stop (F16+)
Lift and photograph lift
How do you label fingerprints?
Circle impression where possible
Label on scale or impression:
R#
Date
Initials
Occurrence #
List the information included in fingerprint notes.
6
Location found
Time found
Found by?
Developed by?
Developed with?
Substrate
Outline the conclusions of the paper on cognitive bias in forensic anthropology.
Demonstrated that the contextual information determined the conclusion of the forensic anthropologist in visual assessments.
The results revealed a significant biasing effect, demonstrating confirmation bias within participants’ assessments of sex, ancestry and age at death.
What were the conclusions of the 2011 Fingerprint INquiry that resulted from the McKie case?
Fingerprint evidence should be recognized as opinion evidence, not fact
Examiners should discontinue reporting conclusions on identification or exclusion with a claim of 100% certainty
Characteristics found at the comparison stage should be included in the examination and given less weight
Features on which examiners rely should be made available for scrutiny by others.
What are the three types of errors found in forensic science?
Ethics violation
Honest errors
Biased oversight
