Bias in communication

Earlier in the course, we explored how bias can influence judgement and decision-making, often without people being aware of it.

Here, we are going to focus on one particular part of that picture: the language we use when communicating information.

Small choices in wording can affect how a message is interpreted. For example, communication might:

• express more certainty than the evidence supports
• use emotionally loaded or judgemental language
• make assumptions about what the reader already knows
• include information that is not necessary or relevant
• use wording that could be interpreted in different ways

These choices are not necessarily deliberate. They can arise through everyday working practices, particularly when people are communicating quickly, working under pressure or using language that is familiar within their own professional environment.

Why does this matter?

Throughout the course, we have seen how information moves between different people and professional groups. The way that information is communicated can influence what happens next, from decisions about lines of enquiry to how evidence is understood and presented.

This is why it can be useful to reflect not only on what we communicate, but how we communicate it.

This version does three things that I think work better for Module E:

• It acknowledges previous learning rather than repeating the definition of bias.
• It moves quickly into language and written communication, giving Module E its own purpose.
• It removes the longer list of investigators, lawyers, judges, juries and the public, because you've already established throughout the MOOC that digital evidence passes between different audiences.

Consider these two statements

Both statements may describe the same situation. However, the first statement introduces an explanation for what happened and implies intent. The second focuses only on what was observed.

Neither statement automatically becomes right or wrong. The important point is that different wording can encourage different interpretations.

The challenge: recognising it in our own writing

It can be difficult to recognise these issues in our own writing.

When we write reports, emails or summaries, we often focus on what we want to communicate rather than how our words may be interpreted by others.

This is particularly challenging in fast-moving professional environments where accuracy, efficiency and clarity all need to be balanced.

How can we support clearer communication?

This raises an important question:

How can we help people recognise language that may influence interpretation before information is shared?

One answer is the use of tools designed to support clearer communication.

In the next step, we will explore how the Clarus Clarity Checker was developed to help users review their writing and reflect on how language choices may affect understanding.

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