Interventions to Reduce Implicit Bias in High-Stakes Professional Judgements: A Systematic Review

A systematic review was conducted to examine interventions designed to reduce the influence of implicit bias on professional judgements, with the aim of identifying strategies relevant to forensic and legal contexts. These decisions are often made under time pressure, ambiguity, and limited information, increasing reliance on intuitive judgement and mental shortcuts that can allow bias to shape how information is evaluated. Eight databases were searched and screened using predefined inclusion criteria. Studies were included if they assessed the behavioural impact of a bias-reduction intervention on decisions made by professionals or mock professionals in forensic, legal, healthcare, educational, or organisational settings. Thirty-eight studies met the inclusion criteria and were analysed. Interventions were mapped by mechanism, delivery format, and decision context. Systemic strategies, such as decision protocols, standardised rubrics, or changes to how information was presented, consistently outperformed individual-level approaches focused on changing attitudes or awareness. Effective interventions typically constrained discretion or embedded structured prompts at the point of judgement. However, most were tested in simulated settings, with limited evidence of long-term or applied effects. The review identifies strategies with the strongest empirical support and highlights those most effective, practical, and transferable to forensic and legal contexts.