On 3rd October, we held a SafetyNet webinar on Cognitive Bias in Occupational Health Investigation, with Dr Carla Maclean, Faculty, Psychology Department, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, British Columbia Canada.

Watch the recording:

Impartiality is central to the role of an investigator working to understand how a health event occurred. Achieving impartiality is a difficult task as the psychological research demonstrates how experts’ perceptions and cognitions are affected by context, motivation, expectation, and experience. A growing body of research has revealed the many sources of bias that affect experts’ judgments as they perform their work. These sources of bias extend beyond the characteristics of the individuals who were involved in the event being investigated and include such things as the features of the information being considered, the reference materials, the investigative environment, and an individual’s base-rate expectations. Professionals in fields such as forensic science, intelligence analysis, criminal investigation, and judicial decision-making are at an inflection point where they are considering both their current practices and new approaches. The investigation of health-related events is a professional domain that is in many ways analogous to the aforementioned decision-making environments. Yet, this investigation environment is also unique, as the sources, magnitude, and direction of bias are specific to the workplace setting. This presentation will explore the broad issue of cognitive bias in investigative decision making, discussion sources of investigative bias, and offer suggestions to mitigate the effect of bias in an occupational health investigation

About the speaker

Dr. Carla MacLean’s (she/her) scholarship explores the theoretical and practical issues underlying expert decision-making in investigative environments. Her publications and presentations cover topics such as cognitive bias, context management, witness memory and effective interviewing techniques. Through her collaborations, research and consulting work with practitioners, she strives to develop real-world solutions for professionals in the field. Dr. MacLean received her Ph.D. in Applied Cognitive Psychology from the University of Victoria in 2010. She is a full-time faculty member in the Department of Psychology at Kwantlen Polytechnic University in British Columbia, Canada, located on the unceded territory of the Musqueam, Katzie, Semiahmoo, Tsawwassen, Qayqayt, and Kwikwetlem Nations.

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