Is Contextual Bias a Serious Issue? How Can It Be Minimized?
by Moderator on Feb.06, 2010, under Topics for discussion
Some argue that contextual bias needs to be taken into consideration in forensic science much more than it has been. Knowing aspects of a criminal investigation may influence an examiner’s conclusions in forming an opinion. Others believe that contextual bias is not such a serious issue, as technical reviews required by accreditation programs minimize the likelihood of bias. What is your opinion of this issue? If you believe contextual bias causes ill- found conclusions, how might it be minimized?
December 27th, 2010 on 7:28 am
Contextual bias is a reality, and should simply be treated as such. Examiners should not regard the mention of contextual bias as an accusation of unprofessional behavior, as it is universal and non-intentional. The effect can vary greatly in magnitude and even direction, but it exists. And there is only one real solution for it: not knowing about the context.
Knowing about the context can be very important for considering the right questions (and hypotheses) and applying the right methods. But for carrying out an unbiased comparison it is detrimental.
To solve this, the examiner carrying out the comparison should be unaware of the context, and so another examiner should look into the appropriate hypotheses and methods.
Where the practical implementation is difficult (limited availability of examiners) one would hope that the existence of the issue is at least acknowledged.