The Abduction of Sherlock Holmes

Carson, David

doi:10.1350/ijps.2009.11.2.123

Cited by 31 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…If a provisional explanatory scenario is present, later incoming ID information can be used to test this scenario. At this point in the investigative process, it may be more evident that the information suggests a different scenario and therefore leads to refutation of the provisional scenario [30,31]. This process of hypothetico-deductive reasoning where information is not provided at once but is distributed over time may ease scenario construction and testing by easing cognitive load at the start and may improve the accuracy of the outcome [29].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identification at the crime scene: The sooner, the better? The interpretation of rapid identification information by CSIs at the crime scene

2017

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New technologies will allow Crime Scene Investigators (CSIs) in the near future to analyse traces at the crime scene and receive identification information while still conducting the investigation. These developments could have considerable effects on the way an investigation is conducted. CSIs may start reasoning based on possible database-matches which could influence scenario formation (i.e. the construction of narratives that explain the observed traces) during very early phases of the investigation. The goal of this study is to gain more insight into the influence of the rapid identification information on the reconstruction of the crime and the evaluation of traces by addressing two questions, namely 1) is scenario formation influenced from the moment that ID information is provided and 2) do database matches influence the evaluation of traces and the reconstruction of the crime. We asked 48 CSIs from England to investigate a potential murder crime scene on a computer. Our findings show that the interpretation of the crime scene by CSIs is affected by the moment identification information is provided. This information has a higher influence on scenario formation when provided after an initial scenario has been formed. Also, CSIs seem to attach great value to traces that produce matches with databases and hence yield a name of a known person. Similar traces that did not provide matches were considered less important. We question whether this kind of selective attention is desirable as it may cause ignorance of other relevant information at the crime scene.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identification at the crime scene: The sooner, the better? The interpretation of rapid identification information by CSIs at the crime scene

2017

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“…Bryant, 2009;Carson, 2009;Truzzi, 1976). The researcher tries to be open and sensitive to the data, without rejecting pre-existing theoretical concepts and constructions.…”

Section: The Abductive Turn and Its Relation To Using Literaturementioning

confidence: 99%

Informed Grounded Theory

Thornberg

2012

Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research

424

320

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“…In so doing, he likely would have been blind to the minutiae that a more open‐minded, inductive process relies upon (e.g., a dog's failure to bark [Conan Doyle, ]). He would thereby have been a far less successful detective (Carson, ).…”

Section: Deduction Induction and Abductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sherlock Holmes and the Case of Resist/Refuse Dynamics: Confirmatory Bias and Abductive Inference in Child Custody Evaluations

Garber¹

2020

Family Court Review

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Had Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's fictional detective, the great Sherlock Holmes, actually engaged in deductive reasoning, he would have solved many fewer crimes. In fact, Holmes' logical progression from astute observation to hypotheses is a model of a type of inductive reasoning. This paper argues that mental health professionals tasked to evaluate why a child is resisting/refusing contact with one parent must approach each family the way that Holmes approached each case, without a presumed suspect, moving systematically from detail to hypothesis, well‐versed in the full range of dynamics that may be at play, and erring in favor of parsimony rather than pathology. By contrast, the custody evaluator who approaches these matters through a deductive process, seeking data that support an a priori theory, is vulnerable to confirmatory bias and doing harm to the child whose interests are paramount. The literature concerned with resist/refuse dynamics is reviewed, yielding 13 non‐mutually exclusive variables that evaluators must consider so as to more fully identify why a particular child is resisting or refusing contact with one parent. On this basis, the hybrid model is expanded to include the full spectrum of contributing dynamics. Specific recommendations are made for judicial officers in the interest of writing orders for custody evaluations that minimize the risk of confirmatory bias. Key Points for the Family Court Community Deductive reasoning seeks to confirm or refute an a priori hypothesis Deductive reasoning is highly vulnerable to confirmational bias Confirmational bias can corrupt and invalidate forensic evaluation to the detriment of all involved Resist/refuse dynamics must be understood through an inductive process that is open to all possible hypotheses A survey of the literature identifies at least thirteen mutually compatible hypotheses, all of which must be evaluated Courts must take care to word orders for forensic family evaluations in a manner that minimizes confirmatory bias and invites inductive investigation

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The Abduction of Sherlock Holmes

Cited by 31 publications

References 16 publications

Identification at the crime scene: The sooner, the better? The interpretation of rapid identification information by CSIs at the crime scene

Identification at the crime scene: The sooner, the better? The interpretation of rapid identification information by CSIs at the crime scene

Informed Grounded Theory

Sherlock Holmes and the Case of Resist/Refuse Dynamics: Confirmatory Bias and Abductive Inference in Child Custody Evaluations

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