Week Twelve - Science & Policy

Question 1

We use scientific knowledge to?

Answer 1

improve practice and solve real-world problems

Question 2

Science and the CJS?

Answer 2

high stakes and costly errors

Question 3

What challenges do we face when applying psychological science?

Answer 3

Ecological validity

Consensus in scientific community

Different goals
- science vs CJS

Question 4

What do we need to facilitate change in these challenges?

Answer 4

Motivation in CJS
- clear evidence of a problem to be addressed

An “in”

• partnership (collaborations)
• two-way relationship (work with PO etc)

Solid evidence and clear recommendations (re. solution)

Field data

Question 5

Confidence and why it matters?

Answer 5

Because confidence is influential.
• Confidence is a predictor of ID accuracy
• Confidence is an index of memory quality

Question 6

why haven’t we established systematic protocols for collecting confidence?

Answer 6

• Recognition is “all or nothing”

* EWs wouldn’t pick unless certain

Question 7

Failure to consider confidence

Answer 7

• misrepresents the evidence
• undermines the informational value of the evidence
• undermines juror decision-making

Question 8

Using confidence well

Answer 8

1. Confidence needs to be recorded
2. Attenuate non-memorial influences on confidence
   – measurement of confidence must be immediate &
   preferably “blind” (e.g., automated)
3. Scale must permit meaningful interpretation
   – e.g., 0-100 or 1-10

4.Presentation of confidence in court?