FINGERPRINT ANALYSIS Week 9 FEATURES OF FINGERPRINT ANALYSIS

FINGERPRINT ANALYSIS Week 9

FEATURES OF FINGERPRINT ANALYSIS

Fingerprints are complex ■ There are classification systems ■ Computer algorithms now classify matches more efficiently and accurately

Q&A For each statement (taken from real websites), what is wrong with the answers?

How long does the procedure take? Response What’s wrong? ■ “This test requires 2 phases, which the first phase only takes 15 - 30 minutes for scanning your fingerprints. ” ■ Shouldn’t it take just 5 minutes? ■ “And the second phase is about giving individual consultation, which usually takes approximately one hour. ” ■ So is the individual consultation the one that is accurate, rather than the fingerprint ‘analysis’? http: //www. dpiconsulting. co. id/product/index/2

Does each finger represent a specific ability/intelligence? Response What’s wrong? ■ “Yes and no. Each finger corresponds to different parts of our brain. Although certain parts of our brain is responsible for a specific ability, our brain usually functions by utilizing different parts simultaneously. ” ■ Each finger corresponds to different parts of the brain? ? ? Does this person even know what a brain does?

How reliable is fingerprint analysis? Response What’s wrong? ■ “Has been validated in INDONESIA !! using almost 2000 people. We are using Cronbach’s Alpha (Anastasi & Urbina, 1997: 97) for reliability analysis, and the score is 0, 870. According to Nunnaly (1978), minimum requirement for reliability is 0. 70. Thus, the reliability of V Genius Fingerprint is good. ” ■ Of course it is reliable. You wake up with the same fingers everyday. ■ And the computer algorithms are basic input-output devices

What is measured by Fingerprint Test? Response What’s wrong? ■ Fingerprint Test measures potential learning power, sequential of multiple intelligence, learning style, etc. ■ Why stop at three? They should have mentioned many more! ■ When you want to make a false claim, is there an optimum number before people start doubting?

What is measured by Fingerprint Test? Response What’s wrong? ■ “DNA Finger Printing is a method for differentiating individuals by the particular structure of their DNA. The name is derived because the structure of the DNA of each person is different hence each of us is unique with respect to the pattern of our Finger Prints. ” ■ DNA research has not progressed to such a finely tuned manner ■ If anything, genetics researcher agree that there is no single gene for intelligence. Even calling intelligence a polygenetic trait is problematic.

Can my fingerprints change ? Response What’s wrong? ■ “No, fingerprints begin to form during the 13 th week of pregnancy until it becomes permanent during the 21 st week. Fingerprints do not change over our lifetime. ” ■ Illusory correlation; two objects share the same features. Therefore two objects must be related. ■ “Fingerprints are our genetic blueprint. It defines character, inborn potential, differences in our multiple intelligence, learning style and other psychological aspects. ” ■ Note: we are not talking about correlation ≠ causation per se.

What does each finger tell us? Response What’s wrong? ■ “thumb print tells about action and execution; index finger logic and creativity; middle finger limb motor ability and art appreciation; ring power of voice recognition; little finger text image discerning. ” ■ I bet with you different companies use different matrices. http: //www. dnaindia. com/mumbai/report-move-over-astrology-fingerprint-analysis-is-new-future-2037893

What do the squiggles tell us? Response What’s wrong? ■ “the ridges and patterns reflect the neural wiring of the brain. A smarter person would have more complex fingerprints because intelligence is correlated with synaptic complexity” ■ Illusory correlation. (this is not entirely accurate; I remembered reading something like this from a Master thesis many years ago)

Is it valid? Response What’s wrong? ■ "It's 110 per cent correct, " adds Vora. "After all, how can your fingerprints be wrong? " ■ Fingerprints are not wrong (nor are they right) ■ It’s theory that’s wrong. ■ Even forensic use of fingerprints are not infallible 1 1 Lilienfeld & Landfield (2008). Science and pseudoscience in law enforacement. Crim Just Beh. http: //timesofindiatimes. com/life-style/relationships/parenting/Your-childs-future-lies-in-his-fingerprints/articleshow/12961555. cms

HOW TO PROVE FINGERPRINT ANALYSIS IS WRONG

Target their theory: what would their theory predict? ■ Fingerprints are not even alike for monozygotic twins ■ But we know that monozygotic twins with same environment tend to be more similar across many traits. ■ Wouldn’t you expect that results of fingerprint analyses would be more similar between monozygotic twins?

Any other methods you can think of?

WHY IS FINGERPRINT ANALYSIS SUCCESSFUL?

Some reasons ■ Dermatoglyphics sound scientific. (Labeling effects work here, and also in negative instances such as stigma) ■ Everyone can see that they have unique fingerprints. We tend to see ourselves more unique than we really are. ■ Existence of fraud busting companies (http: //icebergindia. com/DMIT_fraud. php) indicates that there are illegitimate fingerprint analysis software/trainers, which ironically suggests that there are legitimate fingerprint analysis software/trainers ■ Piggyback science, missing the legitimate with the illegitimate – and hoping no one can tell the difference

WHAT ABOUT 2 D: 4 D?

Lots of evidence ■ Wikipedia is pretty exhaustive on this. (https: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Digit_ratio) ■ We know sex hormones may be involved, and 2 D: 4 D may be a proxy measure (marker) of sex hormones, especially during prenatal stage. ■ Many research remains correlational, and explanation for some outcomes remains weak. ■ Many scientists who work in this field don’t exactly know why the ratio predicts certain outcomes, and are humble to admit that they don’t know; they don’t make psychoblabble claims.

In a nutshell… 2 D: 4 D Prenatal hormones Outcomes Why? (e. g. , physical aggression) • From 2 D: 4 D, you can infer the levels of prenatal hormones • This backward inference is valid if (1) the correlation is strong, and (2) 2 D: 4 D is not influenced by other factors. (Evidence suggests that both are probably true. ) Bailey & Hurd (2005). Finger length ratio (2 D: 4 D) correlates with physical aggression in men but not in women. Biol Psyc.

Organizational effects of hormones ■ Steroid hormones permanently organize the nervous system during early development, which is reflected in adult male or female typical behaviors. ■ This is one of theories that explain gender differences in psychological outcomes. ■ Other theories include evolutionary theories, social-cultural theories, etc. , and they differ in their levels of explanation.

WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNT?

Take home messages ■ Today we contrasted two different styles of explaining biological differences ■ One is flamboyant and grandiose ■ The other is humble, based on systematic research ■ This is one of the telling signs of good vs. bad measurements.