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Growns B, Dunn JD, Helm RK, Towler A, Mattijssen EJAT, Martire KA. Jack of all trades, master of one: domain-specific and domain-general contributions to perceptual expertise in visual comparison. Cogn Res Princ Implic 2024; 9:73. [PMID: 39467920 DOI: 10.1186/s41235-024-00596-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 09/09/2024] [Indexed: 10/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Perceptual expertise is typically domain-specific and rarely generalises beyond an expert's domain of experience. Forensic feature-comparison examiners outperform the norm in domain-specific visual comparison, but emerging research suggests that they show advantages on other similar tasks outside their domain of expertise. For example, fingerprint examiners not only outperform novices in fingerprint comparison, but also in face comparison. Yet, the extent to which their skills generalise is poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the generalisability of perceptual expertise amongst forensic examiners by comparing their performance to novices and other examiners within and outside their area of expertise. We recruited 85 experts from three forensic disciplines (face, fingerprint, and firearms) and asked them to complete four different visual comparison tasks: faces, fingerprints, firearms, and novel-objects. Examiners displayed domain-specific expertise: they outperformed novices and other examiners within their domain of visual comparison expertise. Yet, some of their skill also generalised: examiners also outperformed novices outside their area of expertise. However, while individual differences in examiners' performance within their domain of experience were associated with their performance in a novel comparison task, they were not related to their performance on tasks outside their expert domain. These results provide key insight into the domain-specific and domain-general contributions of forensic examiners' perceptual expertise. Forensic expertise lends some generalisable skill to other visual comparison tasks, but best performance is still seen within examiners' domain of expertise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bethany Growns
- School of Psychology, Speech and Hearing, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.
- Law School, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.
| | - James D Dunn
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | | | - Alice Towler
- School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | | | - Kristy A Martire
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
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Almazrouei MA, Kukucka J, Morgan RM, Levy I. Unpacking workplace stress and forensic expert decision-making: From theory to practice. Forensic Sci Int Synerg 2024; 8:100473. [PMID: 38737991 PMCID: PMC11087230 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsisyn.2024.100473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2024] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
Workplace stress can affect forensic experts' job satisfaction and performance, which holds financial and other implications for forensic service providers. Therefore, it is important to understand and manage workplace stress, but that is not simple or straightforward. This paper explores stress as a human factor that influences forensic expert decision-making. First, we identify and highlight three factors that mitigate decisions under stress conditions: nature of decision, individual differences, and context of decision. Second, we situate workplace stress in forensic science within the Challenge-Hindrance Stressor Framework. We argue that stressors in forensic science workplaces can have a positive or a negative impact, depending on the type, level, and context of stress. Developing an understanding of the stressors, their sources, and their possible impact can help forensic service providers and researchers to implement context-specific interventions to manage stress at work and optimize expert performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed A. Almazrouei
- Center for Neurocognition and Behavior, Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Jeff Kukucka
- Department of Psychology, Towson University, Towson, MD, USA
| | - Ruth M. Morgan
- Centre for the Forensic Sciences, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Security and Crime Science, University College London, London, UK
| | - Ifat Levy
- Center for Neurocognition and Behavior, Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
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Growns B, Towler A, Martire K. The novel object-matching test (NOM Test): A psychometric measure of visual comparison ability. Behav Res Methods 2024; 56:680-689. [PMID: 36788185 PMCID: PMC10830743 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-023-02069-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
This paper presents a new test of object-matching ability: the Novel Object-Matching Test (NOM Test). Object-matching (or visual comparison) is a complex cognitive and perceptual visual comparison task undertaken by forensic scientists - yet no openly available, standardised and psychometrically validated test of object-matching ability exists. This is in contrast to other visual comparison domains like face-matching where many tests are widely available. In this paper, we present the development and psychometric validation of the first openly available object-matching test where people view two complex artificial visual patterns side-by-side and decide if they are from the same source or different sources. We provide normative data and psychometric properties for two long-form and two short-form versions of the test, and two additional versions designed to identify high and low-performers. We also provide evidence of discriminant validity and convergent validity that demonstrates the NOM Test correlates strongly with other object-matching tasks like fingerprint-matching - but not other tasks requiring cognitive-perceptual skill (e.g., visual intelligence). The NOM Test is free for research use with acknowledgment and is available at https://osf.io/pv6ye/ .
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Affiliation(s)
- Bethany Growns
- School of Psychology, Speech and Hearing, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.
- School of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.
| | - Alice Towler
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Kensington, Australia
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Kristy Martire
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Kensington, Australia
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Growns B, Towler A, Dunn JD, Salerno JM, Schweitzer NJ, Dror IE. Statistical feature training improves fingerprint-matching accuracy in novices and professional fingerprint examiners. Cogn Res Princ Implic 2022; 7:60. [PMID: 35841470 PMCID: PMC9288576 DOI: 10.1186/s41235-022-00413-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractForensic science practitioners compare visual evidence samples (e.g. fingerprints) and decide if they originate from the same person or different people (i.e. fingerprint ‘matching’). These tasks are perceptually and cognitively complex—even practising professionals can make errors—and what limited research exists suggests that existing professional training is ineffective. This paper presents three experiments that demonstrate the benefit of perceptual training derived from mathematical theories that suggest statistically rare features have diagnostic utility in visual comparison tasks. Across three studies (N = 551), we demonstrate that a brief module training participants to focus on statistically rare fingerprint features improves fingerprint-matching performance in both novices and experienced fingerprint examiners. These results have applied importance for improving the professional performance of practising fingerprint examiners, and even other domains where this technique may also be helpful (e.g. radiology or banknote security).
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Growns B, Dunn JD, Helm RK, Towler A, Kukucka J. The low prevalence effect in fingerprint comparison amongst forensic science trainees and novices. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0272338. [PMID: 35951612 PMCID: PMC9371274 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0272338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The low prevalence effect is a phenomenon whereby target prevalence affects performance in visual search (e.g., baggage screening) and comparison (e.g., fingerprint examination) tasks, such that people more often fail to detect infrequent target stimuli. For example, when exposed to higher base-rates of 'matching' (i.e., from the same person) than 'non-matching' (i.e., from different people) fingerprint pairs, people more often misjudge 'non-matching' pairs as 'matches'-an error that can falsely implicate an innocent person for a crime they did not commit. In this paper, we investigated whether forensic science training may mitigate the low prevalence effect in fingerprint comparison. Forensic science trainees (n = 111) and untrained novices (n = 114) judged 100 fingerprint pairs as 'matches' or 'non-matches' where the matching pair occurrence was either high (90%) or equal (50%). Some participants were also asked to use a novel feature-comparison strategy as a potential attenuation technique for the low prevalence effect. Regardless of strategy, both trainees and novices were susceptible to the effect, such that they more often misjudged non-matching pairs as matches when non-matches were rare. These results support the robust nature of the low prevalence effect in visual comparison and have important applied implications for forensic decision-making in the criminal justice system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bethany Growns
- College of Social Sciences and International Studies, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - James D. Dunn
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Rebecca K. Helm
- College of Social Sciences and International Studies, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Alice Towler
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Jeff Kukucka
- Department of Psychology, Towson University, Towson, MD, United States of America
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Fysh MC, Bindemann M. Molistic processing in facial image comparison. APPLIED COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/acp.3975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Abstract
Visual comparison-comparing visual stimuli (e.g., fingerprints) side by side and determining whether they originate from the same or different source (i.e., "match")-is a complex discrimination task involving many cognitive and perceptual processes. Despite the real-world consequences of this task, which is often conducted by forensic scientists, little is understood about the psychological processes underpinning this ability. There are substantial individual differences in visual comparison accuracy amongst both professionals and novices. The source of this variation is unknown, but may reflect a domain-general and naturally varying perceptual ability. Here, we investigate this by comparing individual differences (N = 248 across two studies) in four visual comparison domains: faces, fingerprints, firearms, and artificial prints. Accuracy on all comparison tasks was significantly correlated and accounted for a substantial portion of variance (e.g., 42% in Exp. 1) in performance across all tasks. Importantly, this relationship cannot be attributed to participants' intrinsic motivation or skill in other visual-perceptual tasks (visual search and visual statistical learning). This paper provides novel evidence of a reliable, domain-general visual comparison ability.
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Spellman BA, Eldridge H, Bieber P. Challenges to reasoning in forensic science decisions. Forensic Sci Int Synerg 2021; 4:100200. [PMID: 35647506 PMCID: PMC9136362 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsisyn.2021.100200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Revised: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The success of forensic science depends heavily on human reasoning abilities. Although we typically navigate our lives well using those abilities, decades of psychological science research shows that human reasoning is not always rational. In addition, forensic science often demands that its practitioners reason in non-natural ways. This article addresses how characteristics of human reasoning (either specific to an individual or in general) and characteristics of situations (either specific to a case or in general in a lab) can contribute to errors before, during, or after forensic analyses. In feature comparison judgments, such as fingerprints or firearms, a main challenge is to avoid biases from extraneous knowledge or arising from the comparison method itself. In causal and process judgments, for example fire scenes or pathology, a main challenge is to keep multiple potential hypotheses open as the investigation continues. Considering the contributions to forensic science judgments by persons, situations, and their interaction, reveals ways to develop procedures to decrease errors and improve accuracy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara A. Spellman
- University of Virginia School of Law, 580 Massie Road, Charlottesville, VA, 22903, USA
| | - Heidi Eldridge
- RTI International, 3040 E. Cornwallis Rd., Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA
| | - Paul Bieber
- The Arson Research Project, Monterey College of Law, 100 Col. Durham Street, Seaside, CA, 93955, USA
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Novel scientific methods in court. Emerg Top Life Sci 2021; 5:349-357. [PMID: 34402863 DOI: 10.1042/etls20210207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2021] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
In recent decades the use of forensic science in investigations and therefore its subsequent presentation within the courts has increased exponentially, fuelled by an increase in scientific advances, development of databases and greater access to scientists and their expertise. This explosion in the use of forensic evidence has not been limited to one single scientific domain, as there are a broad range of scientific disciplines, encompassed by the general umbrella term' forensic science'. Many of these involve commonly applied methodologies and are accepted by the courts with limited scrutiny. Where tensions exist concerning the use of science in the courtroom is when novel or emerging sciences and scientific techniques are introduced. This may be particularly evident when the demands of the investigatory phase, where those working want to apply all possible tools at their disposal to gather as much evidence as possible and the needs of the courts, where the evidence must scientifically robust and admissible for it to be presented before a jury, come together. This paper examines the implications for the court for emerging or novel sciences and scientific techniques. In such cases, the potential rewards of implementing the scientific process and the information these may contribute to an investigation provides a temptation to investigators to push for their operational use, with the unintended consequence of posing an issue to the court when considering whether to admit the evidence into the judicial process.
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Robson SG, Tangen JM, Searston RA. The effect of expertise, target usefulness and image structure on visual search. Cogn Res Princ Implic 2021; 6:16. [PMID: 33709197 PMCID: PMC7977019 DOI: 10.1186/s41235-021-00282-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Experts outperform novices on many cognitive and perceptual tasks. Extensive training has tuned experts to the most relevant information in their specific domain, allowing them to make decisions quickly and accurately. We compared a group of fingerprint examiners to a group of novices on their ability to search for information in fingerprints across two experiments-one where participants searched for target features within a single fingerprint and another where they searched for points of difference between two fingerprints. In both experiments, we also varied how useful the target feature was and whether participants searched for these targets in a typical fingerprint or one that had been scrambled. Experts more efficiently located targets when searching for them in intact but not scrambled fingerprints. In Experiment 1, we also found that experts more efficiently located target features classified as more useful compared to novices, but this expert-novice difference was not present when the target feature was classified as less useful. The usefulness of the target may therefore have influenced the search strategies that participants used, and the visual search advantages that experts display appear to depend on their vast experience with visual regularity in fingerprints. These results align with a domain-specific account of expertise and suggest that perceptual training ought to involve learning to attend to task-critical features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel G Robson
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4072, QLD, Australia.
| | - Jason M Tangen
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4072, QLD, Australia
| | - Rachel A Searston
- School of Psychology, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, 5005, SA, Australia
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11
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Growns B, Kukucka J. The prevalence effect in fingerprint identification: Match and
non‐match base‐rates
impact misses and false alarms. APPLIED COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/acp.3800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bethany Growns
- School of Social and Behavioral Sciences Arizona State University Arizona USA
| | - Jeff Kukucka
- Department of Psychology Towson University Maryland USA
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12
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Hamnett HJ, Dror IE. The effect of contextual information on decision-making in forensic toxicology. Forensic Sci Int Synerg 2020; 2:339-348. [PMID: 33385132 PMCID: PMC7770460 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsisyn.2020.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Revised: 06/13/2020] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
The impact of cognitive bias on decisions in forensic science has been demonstrated in numerous disciplines such as DNA and fingerprints, but has not been empirically investigated in the more objective domains, such as forensic toxicology. In the first experiment, participants (n = 58) were affected by irrelevant case information when analysing data from an immunoassay test for opiate-type drugs. In the second experiment, participants (n = 53) were biased in their choice of tests, for example, the age of the deceased impacted testing strategy: for older people, medicinal drugs were commonly chosen, whereas for younger people drugs of abuse were selected. Based on the results that examiners analyzing case data may have biases if they are given access to case context, we propose that examiners analysing presumptive test data are blind to irrelevant contextual information. Furthermore, that forensic toxicology laboratories use a consistent protocol for selecting tests, and that any deviations are documented and justified.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Itiel E. Dror
- UCL Centre for the Forensic Sciences, University College London, United Kingdom
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