Blinding as a Solution to Bias

Strengthening Biomedical Science, Forensic Science, and Law

Nonfiction, Reference & Language, Law, Forensic Science, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science
Cover of the book Blinding as a Solution to Bias by , Elsevier Science
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: ISBN: 9780128026335
Publisher: Elsevier Science Publication: January 30, 2016
Imprint: Academic Press Language: English
Author:
ISBN: 9780128026335
Publisher: Elsevier Science
Publication: January 30, 2016
Imprint: Academic Press
Language: English

What information should jurors have during court proceedings to render a just decision? Should politicians know who is donating money to their campaigns? Will scientists draw biased conclusions about drug efficacy when they know more about the patient or study population? The potential for bias in decision-making by physicians, lawyers, politicians, and scientists has been recognized for hundreds of years and drawn attention from media and scholars seeking to understand the role that conflicts of interests and other psychological processes play. However, commonly proposed solutions to biased decision-making, such as transparency (disclosing conflicts) or exclusion (avoiding conflicts) do not directly solve the underlying problem of bias and may have unintended consequences.

Robertson and Kesselheim bring together a renowned group of interdisciplinary scholars to consider another way to reduce the risk of biased decision-making: blinding. What are the advantages and limitations of blinding?  How can we quantify the biases in unblinded research? Can we develop new ways to blind decision-makers?  What are the ethical problems with withholding information from decision-makers in the course of blinding?  How can blinding be adapted to legal and scientific procedures and in institutions not previously open to this approach? Fundamentally, these sorts of questions—about who needs to know what—open new doors of inquiry for the design of scientific research studies, regulatory institutions, and courts.

The volume surveys the theory, practice, and future of blinding, drawing upon leading authors with a diverse range of methodologies and areas of expertise, including forensic sciences, medicine, law, philosophy, economics, psychology, sociology, and statistics.

  • Introduces readers to the primary policy issue this book seeks to address: biased decision-making.
  • Provides a focus on blinding as a solution to bias, which has applicability in many domains. 
  • Traces the development of blinding as a solution to bias, and explores the different ways blinding has been employed.
  • Includes case studies to explore particular uses of blinding for statisticians, radiologists, and fingerprint examiners, and whether the jurors and judges who rely upon them will value and understand blinding. 
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

What information should jurors have during court proceedings to render a just decision? Should politicians know who is donating money to their campaigns? Will scientists draw biased conclusions about drug efficacy when they know more about the patient or study population? The potential for bias in decision-making by physicians, lawyers, politicians, and scientists has been recognized for hundreds of years and drawn attention from media and scholars seeking to understand the role that conflicts of interests and other psychological processes play. However, commonly proposed solutions to biased decision-making, such as transparency (disclosing conflicts) or exclusion (avoiding conflicts) do not directly solve the underlying problem of bias and may have unintended consequences.

Robertson and Kesselheim bring together a renowned group of interdisciplinary scholars to consider another way to reduce the risk of biased decision-making: blinding. What are the advantages and limitations of blinding?  How can we quantify the biases in unblinded research? Can we develop new ways to blind decision-makers?  What are the ethical problems with withholding information from decision-makers in the course of blinding?  How can blinding be adapted to legal and scientific procedures and in institutions not previously open to this approach? Fundamentally, these sorts of questions—about who needs to know what—open new doors of inquiry for the design of scientific research studies, regulatory institutions, and courts.

The volume surveys the theory, practice, and future of blinding, drawing upon leading authors with a diverse range of methodologies and areas of expertise, including forensic sciences, medicine, law, philosophy, economics, psychology, sociology, and statistics.

More books from Elsevier Science

Cover of the book An Introduction to Stochastic Modeling, Student Solutions Manual (e-only) by
Cover of the book Microwave-Assisted Sample Preparation for Trace Element Determination by
Cover of the book Disorders of the Cervical Spine by
Cover of the book Biolubricants by
Cover of the book Natech Risk Assessment and Management by
Cover of the book Advances in Planar Lipid Bilayers and Liposomes by
Cover of the book Fly Models of Human Diseases by
Cover of the book Pharmacy Law and Practice by
Cover of the book Statistics for Physical Sciences by
Cover of the book Signal Processing for Neuroscientists by
Cover of the book Plant Virus-Host Interaction by
Cover of the book Wetland Systems to Control Urban Runoff by
Cover of the book Modeling and Analysis of Doubly Fed Induction Generator Wind Energy Systems by
Cover of the book Libraries and Society by
Cover of the book Elements of Petroleum Geology by
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy