Understanding What It Is, Its implications, And What Can Be Done About It

First, understanding what cognitive bias is, as many confuse it with the everyday notion of bias –cognitive bias is different, as it is often implicit and it impacts hard working, dedicated and competent experts, and thus it is widespread but hard to detect. Second, its implication to forensic decisions making, where experts are heavily relied upon as their decision making is regarded as impartial. In this short webinar I will present how forensic conclusions can be impacted and distorted by irrelevant contextual information, by reference materials, or even by the context in which information is presented or obtained. Third, I will show how understanding what cognitive bias is and its implication to forensic decisions, is important for identifying such weaknesses and for providing practical ways to mitigate them.

Speaker - Dr. Itiel Dror

Dr. Itiel Dror (Ph.D. Harvard) is a cognitive neuroscientist who is interested in the cognitive architecture that underpins expert decision making. Dror's research, published in over 150 research articles, cited over 11,000 times (source: Google Scholar), demonstrates human vulnerabilities in expert decision making. He has worked in a variety of domains, from policing and aviation to medical experts and bankers, showing that cognitive and human factors impact even hard working, dedicated and competent experts. In the forensic science domain, he has focused attention and highlighted how cognitive bias can impact a variety of forensic decisions. Dr. Dror has worked with and trained many agencies in various countries on how to minimize errors and enhance forensic decision making. More information is at: http://www.cci-hq.com/dr.-itiel-dror.html.

Background readings:
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.analchem.0c00704
AND:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.fsisyn.2021.100161

For a copy of the slides, please click Here

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