Deception in Eyewitness Identification

2002 ◽  
Vol 29 (6) ◽  
pp. 734-746 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Parliament ◽  
A. Daniel Yarmey
Keyword(s):  
Eyewitness Identification ◽  
Role Play ◽  
Innocent Person ◽  
Identification Performance ◽  
Accurate Identification ◽  
Child Victim ◽  
Decision Times

One-hundred twenty-eight undergraduates were shown a videotape of a staged crime of a young man abducting a child. Participants were instructed to role-play eyewitness behaviors in which they (a) lied to protect the perpetrator; (b) lied to protect the perpetrator but told the truth about the child; (c) lied to ensure the conviction of the perpetrator; or (d) responded truthfully and accurately to the best of their ability. One week later, participants were given a target-present or target-absent photo lineup of both the perpetrator and the child-victim. Participants instructed to lie to protect the perpetrator consistently stated he was not present as opposed to selecting an innocent person. In addition, participants lying to protect the perpetrator were significantly quicker to make identification decisions than participants attempting to make an accurate identification. There were no significant differences between groups in identification performance or in decision times involving the child lineup.

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

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.

scholarly journals Confidence of Older Eyewitnesses: Is It Diagnostic of Identification Accuracy?

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 132-151 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalie Martschuk ◽  
Siegfried L. Sporer ◽  
Melanie Sauerland
Keyword(s):  
Field Study ◽  
Eyewitness Identification ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Identification Accuracy ◽  
Identification Performance ◽  
Bayesian Analyses ◽  
Decision Times

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.

Individual Differences Predict Eyewitness Identification Performance

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shannon M. Andersen ◽  
Curt A. Carlson ◽  
Maria Carlson ◽  
Scott D. Gronlund
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Eyewitness Identification ◽  
Identification Performance

scholarly journals Gender Effects Regarding Eyewitness Identification Performance

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 31-42
Author(s):  
Adnan Fazlić ◽  
Irma Deljkić ◽  
Ray Bull
Keyword(s):  
Eyewitness Identification ◽  
Gender Effects ◽  
Identification Performance

scholarly journals The Effect of Pre-Event Instructions on Eyewitness Identification Stage 1 Registered Report Manuscript

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mario J. Baldassari ◽  
Kara N. Moore ◽  
Ira Hyman ◽  
LORRAINE HOPE ◽  
Eric Mah ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Exposure Duration ◽  
Eyewitness Identification ◽  
Identification Accuracy ◽  
Identification Performance ◽  
Identification Stage ◽  
Lineup Identification ◽  
Stage 1 ◽  
Future Work

Research on eyewitness identification often involves exposing participants to a simulated crime and later testing memory using a lineup. We conducted a systematic review showing that pre-event instructions, instructions given before event exposure, are rarely reported and those that are reported vary in the extent to which they warn participants about the nature of event or tasks. At odds with the experience of actual witnesses, some studies use pre-event instructions explicitly warning participants of the upcoming crime and lineup task. Both the basic and applied literature provide reason to believe that pre-event instructions may impact eyewitness identification performance. In Experiment 1, we will test the effect of pre-event instructions on lineup identification decisions and confidence. Participants will receive non-specific pre-event instructions (i.e., “watch this video”) or eyewitness pre-event instructions (i.e., “watch this crime video, you’ll complete a line-up later”) and complete a culprit absent or present lineup. In Experiment 2, we will manipulate exposure duration and pre-event instructions to determine if pre-event instructions differentially impact high or low quality eyewitness events. If pre-event instructions impact eyewitness identification accuracy, then the findings of existing studies need to be considered in the context of their pre-event instructions and future work will be needed to determine how instructions interact with existing systems and estimator variables.

Individual differences predict eyewitness identification performance

2014 ◽  
Vol 60 ◽  
pp. 36-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shannon M. Andersen ◽  
Curt A. Carlson ◽  
Maria A. Carlson ◽  
Scott D. Gronlund
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Eyewitness Identification ◽  
Identification Performance

scholarly journals Metamemory and Lineup Instructions: Asking Eyewitnesses to Recollect Reduces False Identification

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicola Guerin ◽  
Nathan Weber ◽  
Ruth Horry
Keyword(s):  
Good Predictor ◽  
Process Model ◽  
Eyewitness Identification ◽  
Dual Process ◽  
Identification Accuracy ◽  
False Identification ◽  
Identification Performance ◽  
Decision Confidence ◽  
Delayed Choice ◽  
Simultaneous Elimination

Little theoretically-informed research investigates how non-standard eyewitness identification tasks or metacognitive instructions might improve identification accuracy. We used a continuous dual-process model of recognition to explain familiarity-based identification errors and design modified lineup tasks and metacognitive instructions that increased eyewitness recollection and discriminability. In four studies we examined identification performance across lineups (standard simultaneous, elimination, delayed-choice) and instructions (task-related, phenomenological, standard). Participants viewed photos of targets and made identification decisions about a lineup for each target. Instructions about memory phenomenology improved discriminability in delayed-choice lineups, while task-related instructions were ineffective. Metacognitive instructions about how to better evaluate memory quality in modified lineup tasks could improve recollection for greater identification accuracy even when memory is poor. While immediate post-decision confidence is a good predictor of identification accuracy, lineup modifications that improve eyewitness memory use would provide better evidence of suspect guilt or innocence. We discuss implications for lineup theory and design.

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