New application of psychology to law: Improving forensic evidence and expert witness contributions.

Abstract

a b s t r a c t Psychology has made a tremendous contribution to law by showing the malleability of eyewitness per- ception and memory, and developing best practices for obtaining eyewitness identifications. We suggest that even expert scientific witnesses, which the court heavily relies on as objective and impartial, are also susceptible to bias from various psychological influences. For example, forensic examiners' interactions with detectives and exposure to information about the case can bias their judgments. We discuss the ten commentaries on these issues across a range of forensic science domains, and affirm what reforms are needed.