 The CSI effect , also known as the CSI syndrome and the CSI infection , is any of several ways in which the exaggerated portrayal of forensic science on crime television shows such as CSI : Crime Scene Investigation influences public perception . The term most often refers to the belief that jurors have come to demand more forensic evidence in criminal trials , thereby raising the effective standard of proof for prosecutors . While this belief is widely held among American legal professionals , some studies have suggested that crime shows are unlikely to cause such an effect , although frequent CSI viewers may place a lower value on circumstantial evidence . As technology improves and becomes more prevalent throughout society , people may also develop higher expectations for the capabilities of forensic technology . 
