Children's and Adults' Eyewitness Identification Accuracy When a Culprit Changes His Appearance: Comparing Simultaneous and Elimination Lineup Procedures

• NCJ Number: 213125
• Journal: Legal and Criminological Psychology Volume: 11 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2006 Pages: 35-53
• Author(s): Joanna D. Pozzulo; Janet Balfour
• Date Published: February 2006
• Length: 19 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom

Annotation

This study examined adults' (n=239) and children's (n=177, ages 8-13) eyewitness identification abilities when the person observed committing a crime changed his appearance.

Abstract

The study found that correct identifications (target-present lineups) decreased following a change in the target's appearance regardless of the eyewitness's age and the lineup procedure. Children's correct rejection rates (target-absent lineups) were lower than those of adults. Compared with the simultaneous procedure, the elimination procedure was more effective in increasing correct rejections for both children and adults when the lineup members did not match the actual offender's appearance. When lineup members did not match the offender's appearance, correct rejection rates were similar across the two identification procedures for both children and adults. The adults were recruited from an introductory psychology course at a university in Eastern Ontario (Canada). The children (96 boys and 81 girls) were recruited from grades four, five, and six in Eastern Ontario elementary schools. Both groups viewed a videotaped staged crime that portrayed a robbery in which a woman's purse was taken. A close up of the offender's face, lasting approximately 4 seconds, was presented to allow a clear view of his features. The video lasted approximately 90 seconds. The crime was filmed twice, using the same person as the offender in each filming but with changes in his appearance. In one video, he had short, brown hair flecked with gray; and in the other video he wore a wig of longer, darker, brown hair. Two target-present photographic lineups were used, one in which the suspect had shorthair and the other with his longhair wig. Two target-absent lineups were provided, one with photographs of men with short gray hair and the other composed of men with longer, darker brown hair. Both simultaneous and elimination lineup procedures were used. 2 tables and 16 references