Interventions to Reduce Implicit Bias in High-Stakes Professional Judgements: A Systematic Review

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Law
• Forensic Science

Background:

• Professional judgments are susceptible to implicit bias, especially under pressure.
• Time constraints, ambiguity, and limited information increase reliance on heuristics.
• Bias can significantly shape information evaluation in critical decision-making.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review interventions reducing implicit bias in professional judgments.
• To identify strategies applicable to forensic and legal decision-making.
• To evaluate the behavioral impact of bias-reduction interventions.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of eight databases.
• Inclusion criteria focused on behavioral impact in professional settings.
• Analysis of 38 studies based on intervention mechanism, format, and context.

Main Results:

• Systemic strategies (e.g., decision protocols, rubrics) outperformed individual-level interventions.
• Effective interventions constrained discretion or used structured prompts.
• Most interventions were tested in simulated settings with limited real-world evidence.

Conclusions:

• Systemic interventions show stronger empirical support for reducing implicit bias.
• Strategies constraining discretion are most effective and practical for forensic and legal contexts.
• Further research is needed on long-term and applied effects in real-world settings.