Fingerprint analysis, once thought of as a gold standard of forensic science, is coming under increasing scrutiny by scientific experts. In 2004, neuroscientist Itiel Dror studied the process of fingerprint analysis. Dror argues that even competent experts can be swayed by “cognitive bias,” meaning their knowledge of a case swayed their conclusions.
The FBI no longer claims that fingerprint evidence is 100 percent infallible. One FBI expert told Frontline, “There’s going to be…variability anytime there’s a human involved in the process.”
One possible solution for “cognitive bias” in fingerprint analysis can be taken from a similar problem in eyewitness identification. Best practices recommended by the California Commission on the Fair Administration of Justice suggest that the administrator of a witness identification procedure, such as a line-up, should not be aware of the details of the case or which person is the suspect. This process, known as blind administration, prohibits any unconscious cues from influencing the witness. Perhaps blind administration could also be used by fingerprint experts to solve the “cognitive bias” problem.
For more on fingerprint analysis, watch a clip from Frontline’s program The Real CSI, here.