FSC239Y5 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Junk Science, Forensic Psychiatry, Behavioural Sciences
Document Summary
February 9, 2016: forensic expert witness testimony junk science. Ma(cid:374)(cid:455) ti(cid:373)es i(cid:374) a (cid:272)ourt roo(cid:373), it"s a sales pit(cid:272)h lawyers defending their clients, something is being marketed and sold to the jury. There are (cid:373)a(cid:374)(cid:455) (cid:862)s(cid:272)ie(cid:374)tists(cid:863) (cid:449)ho do (cid:374)ot a(cid:272)tuall(cid:455) ha(cid:448)e a(cid:374)(cid:455) s(cid:272)ie(cid:374)tifi(cid:272) (cid:271)asis to their (cid:272)lai(cid:373)s, k(cid:374)o(cid:449)(cid:374) as junk science. Junk science includes opinions offered as expertise that has little or no probative value since it is based on bad science. Different from outright fraud, when some people intentionally mislead others for personal gain. Lab coat phenomenon: students are paid for studies, students are put in one room with a man with a lab coat on. He will deliver the same message as the man with no lab coat in the other room: consistent finding: students listen to the man with the lab coat more. People buy in to it because their perception of the presence of the lab coat makes the man seem more credible.
