criminal (hall and player)

Question 1

aim

Answer 1

other studies like dror had found potential bias with non experts analysing fingerprints

Question 2

sample

Answer 2

70 fingerprint experts from the metropolitan police
experience ranged from 3months - 30 years

Question 3

procedure

Answer 3

Participants had to look at a £50 note that had a fingerprint superimposed onto it. The fingerprint was deliberately ambiguous and not clear.
Their job was to see if a set of fingerprints matched the print on the £50 note.

Question 4

low emotion group

Answer 4

told the fingerprint was from a suspect who tried to pay for goods with a forged £50 note.

Question 5

high emotion group

Answer 5

told the note belonged to someone suspected of murder by firing two gunshots at the victim.

Question 6

results

Answer 6

50/70 participants said they had read the crime scene report.

52% of those who read the crime scene report (in the high emotion condition) believed it had affected their judgement vs. only 6% in the low emotion context.

BUT there was no significant difference between the high and low emotion groups the number of matches.

Question 7

conclusion

Answer 7

Emotional context does NOT reduce a fingerprint expert’s ability to make a final decision.