Data-Driven Analysis of Intersectional Bias in Image Classification: A Framework with Bias-Weighted Augmentation

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1. Verfasser: Yesmin, Farjana
Format: Preprint
Veröffentlicht: 2025
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author Yesmin, Farjana
author_facet Yesmin, Farjana
contents Machine learning models trained on imbalanced datasets often exhibit intersectional biases-systematic errors arising from the interaction of multiple attributes such as object class and environmental conditions. This paper presents a data-driven framework for analyzing and mitigating such biases in image classification. We introduce the Intersectional Fairness Evaluation Framework (IFEF), which combines quantitative fairness metrics with interpretability tools to systematically identify bias patterns in model predictions. Building on this analysis, we propose Bias-Weighted Augmentation (BWA), a novel data augmentation strategy that adapts transformation intensities based on subgroup distribution statistics. Experiments on the Open Images V7 dataset with five object classes demonstrate that BWA improves accuracy for underrepresented class-environment intersections by up to 24 percentage points while reducing fairness metric disparities by 35%. Statistical analysis across multiple independent runs confirms the significance of improvements (p < 0.05). Our methodology provides a replicable approach for analyzing and addressing intersectional biases in image classification systems.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2510_16072
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Data-Driven Analysis of Intersectional Bias in Image Classification: A Framework with Bias-Weighted Augmentation
Yesmin, Farjana
Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition
Artificial Intelligence
Machine Learning
Machine learning models trained on imbalanced datasets often exhibit intersectional biases-systematic errors arising from the interaction of multiple attributes such as object class and environmental conditions. This paper presents a data-driven framework for analyzing and mitigating such biases in image classification. We introduce the Intersectional Fairness Evaluation Framework (IFEF), which combines quantitative fairness metrics with interpretability tools to systematically identify bias patterns in model predictions. Building on this analysis, we propose Bias-Weighted Augmentation (BWA), a novel data augmentation strategy that adapts transformation intensities based on subgroup distribution statistics. Experiments on the Open Images V7 dataset with five object classes demonstrate that BWA improves accuracy for underrepresented class-environment intersections by up to 24 percentage points while reducing fairness metric disparities by 35%. Statistical analysis across multiple independent runs confirms the significance of improvements (p < 0.05). Our methodology provides a replicable approach for analyzing and addressing intersectional biases in image classification systems.
title Data-Driven Analysis of Intersectional Bias in Image Classification: A Framework with Bias-Weighted Augmentation
topic Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition
Artificial Intelligence
Machine Learning
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.16072