Eyewitness Identification Flashcards
Factors Influencing Accuracy
Witness - age (old and young just choose), attention paid to event
Offender - distinctive features, atypical features, pre or post event appearance changes, race
Situation - viewing conditions (light, distance, exposure duration), weapon effect.
Cross Race Effect
We are better at discriminating between faces from our own race.
Contact - more exposure to own race
Social-cognitive - encode information about our own race and use stereotypes for others
Categorisation-individuation - categorise faces as “own” or “other” and only actively process those in the “own” category (pay more attention to “own”
Estimator Variables
Used to estimate the likelihood of accuracy. Cannot be controlled. (witness, offender and situation factors).
System Variables
Characteristics of the justice system that influence accuracy. Controllable. (lineup procedures, interval between event and ID).
Markers of Accuracy - Response Latency
Faster decisions tend to indicate more accuracy, but time to respond varies according to lineup difficulty, so not an indicator.
Markers of Accuracy - Confidence
Weak relationship if using correlation, but confidence does indicate accuracy if confidence is high, double blind procedures are used and confidence is recorded immediately (calibration studies).
Markers of Accuracy - Post ID Feedback
Can be explicit or implicit and come from investigators, media or other witnesses. Positive feedback increases confidence in ID while negative feedback reduces confidence, but the ID may not be accurate so should avoid post event feedback.
Lineup Presentation
Sequential or Simultaneous
Sequential - one face at a time, encourages comparing to memory not other faces in lineup (less false IDs). - forces absolute judgement
Simultaneous - all faces presented at once. - allows for relative judgements.
Elimination Lineup
Remove faces on at a time according to which is the worst fit. Good with children but still a work in progress.
Multiple Lineups
Facial lineup, but also body type, clothing, voice, hair etc. If witness IDs face and two others, accuracy is near 100%, but this procedure is difficult to do because a lot of information is needed.
Multiple Confidence Estimate
Provide a confidence rating for each face in the lineup. Not actually selecting a single face, so not comparing them to each other. More reliance on memory therefore more accurate, but may be difficult for jury to understand.
Absolute Judgement
Compare faces in the lineup with memory. Best form of identification and achieved with a sequential lineup.
Relative Judgement
Compare faces in the lineup with each other to determine the best match. Simultaneous lineup. Eyewitnesses use this method. If their selection is removed, they choose the next best, not “not present”
Accumulation Model
Model that implies that confidence should be an indication of accuracy. Evidence accumulates for each alternative, until the evidence for one alternative reaches the threshold. The gap between alternatives indicates confidence.
