Eyewitness identification accuracy, confidence, and decision times in simultaneous and sequential lineups.

AbstractSince the late 1980s evidence has been accumulating that confidence recorded at the time of identification is a reliable postdictor of eyewitness identification. Nonetheless, there may be noteworthy exceptions. In a re-analysis of a field study by Sauerland and Sporer (2009; N = 720; n = 436 choosers between 15 and 83 years old) we show that the postdictive value of confidence was reduced for participants aged 40 years or older. Different calibration indices and Bayesian analyses demonstrate a progressive dissociation between identification performance and confidence across age groups. While the confidence expressed following an identification remained unchanged across the lifespan, identification accuracy decreased. Young, highly confident witnesses were much more likely to be accurate than less confident witnesses. With increasing age, witnesses were more likely to be overconfident, particularly at the medium and high levels of confidence, and the postdictive value of confidence and decision times decreased. We conclude that witness age may be an important moderator to take into account when evaluating identification evidence.

Download Full-text

Eyewitness Identification and Distinctive Features: When Similarity Matters

10.31234/osf.io/jmr6u ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Jamal K. Mansour ◽

Jennifer L Beaudry

Keyword(s):

Eyewitness Identification ◽

Identification Accuracy ◽

Correct Identification ◽

Sequential Lineups ◽

Distinctive Features ◽

Simultaneous Lineups ◽

Innocent Suspect ◽

Mock Crime

In four experiments, we investigated theoretical and practical issues around eyewitness identification accuracy and confidence for tattooed suspects. We varied how tattoos were treated in lineups (Experiments 1 and 2) and the match between the suspect’s tattoo the perpetrator’s tattoo (Experiments 3 and 4). We replicated the finding that modifying lineup photographs to prevent a tattooed suspect from standing out mitigates the risk of innocent suspect identifications. We also demonstrated that sequential lineups (cf. simultaneous) do not mitigate the risk of biased lineups when the suspect stands out because of a tattoo. Contrary to previous research in which biased lineups did not impact correct identification rates differentially by lineup type, we found that biased lineups decreased correct identifications in sequential, but not simultaneous, lineups. Additionally, we found that the tattoo worn by an innocent suspect need not be identical to that of the perpetrator—similar placement and designs also inflate innocent suspect identifications, although a tattoo in a different location with a different design protected innocent suspects. Finally, our data indicate that when researching distinctive marks in lineups, researchers should request descriptions from the eyewitness-participants following the mock crime in order to determine whether the witness noticed the distinctive mark.

Download Full-text

Perpetrator exposure length, witness motivation and suspect/perpetrator similarity moderate the effects of administrator knowledge on eyewitness identification accuracy

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e571212013-172 ◽

2013 ◽

Author(s):

Lindsey M. Rhead ◽

Jacqueline L. Austin ◽

David Michael Zimmerman ◽

Margaret Bull Kovera

Keyword(s):

Eyewitness Identification ◽

Identification Accuracy ◽

Exposure Length

Download Full-text

Eyewitness identification performance is not affected by time-of-day optimality

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-82628-z ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Sergii Yaremenko ◽

Melanie Sauerland ◽

Lorraine Hope

Keyword(s):

Eyewitness Identification ◽

Time Of Day ◽

Decision Time ◽

Identification Accuracy ◽

Optimal Time ◽

Identification Performance ◽

Accurate Identification ◽

Facial Stimuli ◽

Time Accuracy ◽

Accuracy Relationship

AbstractThe circadian rhythm regulates arousal levels throughout the day and determines optimal periods for engaging in mental activities. Individuals differ in the time of day at which they reach their peak: Morning-type individuals are at their best in the morning and evening types perform better in the evening. Performance in recall and recognition of non-facial stimuli is generally superior at an individual’s circadian peak. In two studies (Ns = 103 and 324), we tested the effect of time-of-testing optimality on eyewitness identification performance. Morning- and evening-type participants viewed stimulus films depicting staged crimes and made identification decisions from target-present and target-absent lineups either at their optimal or non-optimal time-of-day. We expected that participants would make more accurate identification decisions and that the confidence-accuracy and decision time-accuracy relationships would be stronger at optimal compared to non-optimal time of day. In Experiment 1, identification accuracy was unexpectedly superior at non-optimal compared to optimal time of day in target-present lineups. In Experiment 2, identification accuracy did not differ between the optimal and non-optimal time of day. Contrary to our expectations, confidence-accuracy relationship was generally stronger at non-optimal compared to optimal time of day. In line with our predictions, non-optimal testing eliminated decision-time-accuracy relationship in Experiment 1.

Download Full-text