Eyewitness testimony part 2 Flashcards
How accurate are culprit descriptions?
often limited in detail and accuracy`
How many descriptors are recalled about a culprit in a lab study vs. real life?
7.35 vs. 3.94
what are the most common descriptors?
Sex and height
What are the most accurate descriptors by eyewitnesses?
Hair colour and type of clothing worn below the waist
What are the least accurate descriptors by eyewitnesses?
weight, eye colour, and type of footwear
Define a similarity to suspect strategy
Lineup will be people that match what the suspect of the police looks like
Define a similarity to description lineup
A lineup that matches the descriptors given by the eyewitness
What are the outcomes of lineup with the target present?
- Correct identification: eyewitness identifies target
- Foil identification (error)
- False rejection (error)
What are the outcomes of lineup with the target absent?
- Correct rejection
2. Foil identification (error)
What are the implications of foil identification?
- Error is known by police
2. Leads to skepticism in reliability of the witness
What are the implications of false rejection?
- Unknown error to police, where culprit is present
2. Results in criminal going free
What are the implications of false identification
- Identifying innocent person as culprit
2. Real culprit remains free
Why are photoarrays preferable to lineup?
- Less time consuming to put together
- Portable
- No right to counsel for the suspect to be present
- Photos are static
What is the difference between a simultaneous lineup and a sequential lineup?
Simultaneous lineup is judgement of suspect relative to other people, while sequential judgement is absolute
What impact can the age of an eyewitness have on identifying the culprit in a lineup?
Over 65 and kids can identify when culprit present just as well, but do worse when culprit is absent
