# Mitigating Bias: Enhancing Image Classification by Improving Model Explanations

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2307.01473 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2307.01473/

## Key facts

- Cited by 3 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 21 of its 25 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 4 Jul 2023.

## Builds on (most cited first, 21 of 21)

- [Deep Residual Learning for Image Recognition](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1512.03385/) (2015)
- [PyTorch: An Imperative Style, High-Performance Deep Learning Library](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1912.01703/) (2019)
- [Very Deep Convolutional Networks for Large-Scale Image Recognition](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1409.1556/) (2014)
- [Grad-CAM: Visual Explanations from Deep Networks via Gradient-based Localization](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1610.02391/) (2016)
- ["Why Should I Trust You?": Explaining the Predictions of Any Classifier](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1602.04938/) (2016)
- [Axiomatic Attribution for Deep Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1703.01365/) (2017)
- [Learning Deep Features for Discriminative Localization](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1512.04150/) (2015)
- [Visualizing and Understanding Convolutional Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1311.2901/) (2013)
- [Striving for Simplicity: The All Convolutional Net](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1412.6806/) (2014)
- [Distance-IoU Loss: Faster and Better Learning for Bounding Box Regression](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1911.08287/) (2019)
- [Self-supervised Equivariant Attention Mechanism for Weakly Supervised Semantic Segmentation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2004.04581/) (2020)
- [Right for the Right Reasons: Training Differentiable Models by Constraining their Explanations](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1703.03717/) (2017)
- [Localizing Objects with Self-Supervised Transformers and no Labels](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2109.14279/) (2021)
- [Explainable Machine Learning for Scientific Insights and Discoveries](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1905.08883/) (2019)
- [Interpretations are useful: penalizing explanations to align neural networks with prior knowledge](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1909.13584/) (2019)
- [Learning to Predict Visual Attributes in the Wild](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2106.09707/) (2021)
- [Don't Judge an Object by Its Context: Learning to Overcome Contextual Bias](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2001.03152/) (2020)
- [CASTing Your Model: Learning to Localize Improves Self-Supervised Representations](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2012.04630/) (2020)
- [A Comprehensive Study of Image Classification Model Sensitivity to Foregrounds, Backgrounds, and Visual Attributes](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2201.10766/) (2022)
- [Consistent Explanations by Contrastive Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2110.00527/) (2021)
- [Revealing Model Biases: Assessing Deep Neural Networks via Recovered Sample Analysis](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2306.06414/) (2023)

## Built on by (most cited first, 3 of 3)

- [MCA-RG: Enhancing LLMs with Medical Concept Alignment for Radiology Report Generation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2507.06992/) (2025)
- [A Survey on Interpretability in Visual Recognition](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2507.11099/) (2025)
- [Engineering Resource-constrained Software Systems with DNN Components: a Concept-based Pruning Approach](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2604.09988/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Deep learning models have demonstrated remarkable capabilities in learning complex patterns and concepts from training data. However, recent findings indicate that these models tend to rely heavily on simple and easily discernible features present in the background of images rather than the main concepts or objects they are intended to classify. This phenomenon poses a challenge to image classifiers as the crucial elements of interest in images may be overshadowed. In this paper, we propose a novel approach to address this issue and improve the learning of main concepts by image classifiers. Our central idea revolves around concurrently guiding the model's attention toward the foreground during the classification task. By emphasizing the foreground, which encapsulates the primary objects of interest, we aim to shift the focus of the model away from the dominant influence of the background. To accomplish this, we introduce a mechanism that encourages the model to allocate sufficient attention to the foreground. We investigate various strategies, including modifying the loss function or incorporating additional architectural components, to enable the classifier to effectively capture the primary concept within an image. Additionally, we explore the impact of different foreground attention mechanisms on model performance and provide insights into their effectiveness. Through extensive experimentation on benchmark datasets, we demonstrate the efficacy of our proposed approach in improving the classification accuracy of image classifiers. Our findings highlight the importance of foreground attention in enhancing model understanding and representation of the main concepts within images. The results of this study contribute to advancing the field of image classification and provide valuable insights for developing more robust and accurate deep-learning models.