We see what we expect – and miss what matters

Source: Secure by Choice

Author: Sarah Aalborg

URL: https://securebychoice.com/blog/108175-we-see-what-we-expect-and-miss-what

ONE SENTENCE SUMMARY: Forensic investigations are impacted by cognitive biases like confirmation and anchoring, requiring deliberate strategies to mitigate their influence effectively.

MAIN POINTS:

1. Forensic analysis, despite being data-driven, is heavily influenced by cognitive biases.
2. Human brains naturally create stories, filtering new data through existing assumptions.
3. Confirmation bias leads investigators to focus only on evidence supporting initial theories.
4. Anchoring bias causes undue emphasis on the first piece of evidence discovered.
5. A Guardian-cited study found forensic experts influenced by contextual biases reached differing conclusions.
6. Bias affects even highly experienced experts, often without their awareness.
7. Explicitly naming biases can help teams recognize and counteract their impact.
8. Conducting pre-mortems encourages consideration of alternative hypotheses before deep investigation.
9. Introducing fresh perspectives can reduce anchoring effects and improve investigative accuracy.
10. Tracking multiple scenarios and reflecting on assumptions enhances learning and accuracy in forensics.

TAKEAWAYS:

1. Recognize that even expert investigators are vulnerable to cognitive biases.
2. Explicitly acknowledging biases helps mitigate their negative impact.
3. Regularly question initial assumptions and entertain multiple theories.
4. Seek input from individuals not influenced by initial investigative contexts.
5. Reflecting systematically on investigative processes improves future outcomes.