| Face-processing practice: A new tool for improving eyewitness identification (2002) | |||||||||||
Abstract | |||||||||||
| People are relatively poor at identifying a previously-seen suspect from a lineup. The reasons for this poor performance have been extensively studied, but so far no one has developed a training tool that successfully improves eyewitness identification. Previous research indicates that a noticeable change in lineup performance levels can be obtained as a result of a task done immediately before the lineup. Our aim is to create training tools that will improve subsequent lineup identification. A set of face-matching tasks was created, based on current theories of face processing (dual-process, holistic, internal region). Participants took one of these tests immediately before they viewed a targetpresent lineup task. Of the three face-matching tests created (Featural, Configural, and Internal), only the Featural test significantly increased lineup accuracy when compared to the control. When forced choices from participants who had originally not chosen someone from the lineup were also considered, participants who took either the Featural or the Configural test showed higher rates of identification of the target relative to control participants (p = .08). Exploratory target-absent lineup data is also discussed. | |||||||||||
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