Eye movement evaluation of signature forgeries: Insights to forensic expert evidence

To find solutions to complex problems often requires the networking of experts from a variety of disciplines. This can be especially relevant in the application of eye movement studies to understand the complex ways in which humans make decisions for non-trivial tasks. For example, the use of eye movement investigations to understand how experienced forensic officers make decisions whilst evaluating case evidence has important implications for legal proceedings (Dyer et al. 2006, 2008; Merlino et al. 2008a). To conduct these types of studies firstly requires detailed knowledge of the legal context for which quality empirical evidence is required (Merlino et al. 2008b) and secondly how experiments need to be designed to model the real-world working environment of a forensic officer. By utilising the correct context setting information to design eye movement studies, it is possible to collect high-quality data to answer specific questions pertinent to certain disciplines. Below we discuss the value of multidisciplinary inputs for understanding FDE visual processing as a model for how eye movement studies can provide high value empirical data on human visual expertise