Public views of forensic science: An intersection of science and policing?

Abstract

Consistent with the growing interest in public attitudes toward forensic science, the present study focuses on the potential antecedents of trust in forensics. Collecting and analyzing forensic evidence involves scientific methods, and thus trust in science as a whole may influence trust in forensics. At the same time, because the police are responsible for collecting and analyzing forensic evidence, public trust in the police may affect perceptions of forensic science. These hypothesized relationships align with theories of generalized trust, which suggest that individuals apply broad trust orientations across different authorities and social institutions. To test the role of these views as antecedents of trust in forensics, 1,342 Israelis were surveyed about their views of forensic science, the police, and science as a whole. A cluster analysis identified three groups of people: those expressing high levels of trust in all three institutions; those expressing low trust in all three; and those expressing high trust in science and forensics but low trust in the police. The clusters were associated with several socio-demographic characteristics. Moreover, correlations reveal that trust in forensics is associated with trust in science and, to a lesser extent, with trust in the police, and may be embedded within broader patterns of institutional trust.