NCJ Number
7331
Date Published
1972
Length
352 pages
Annotation
SERIES OF EXPERIMENTS ON THE TECHNIQUES AND KINDS OF FACIAL FEATURES WHICH ARE USED TO DISTINGUISH ONE FACE FROM ANOTHER.
Abstract
THE IDENTIFICATION OF SUSPECTS BY WITNESSES IS A RECURRING PROBLEM IN CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS. IN THEIR FIRST CHAPTER, PREVIOUS RESEARCH ON MEMORY AND RECOGNITION OF FACES IS REVIEWED. THE FOLLOWING CHAPTER DESCRIBES A STUDY OF FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE A WITNESS'S ABILITY TO IDENTIFY SUSPECTS WHILE SEARCHING THROUGH MUG SHOTS. RESEARCH ON MUG SHOT FORMATS IS SUMMARIZED, AND PERFORMANCE RESULTS ARE GIVEN FOR DIFFERENT TYPES OF PHOTOGRAPH PROFILES, THE USE OF COLOR RATHER THAN BLACK AND WHITE PICTURES, AND CROSS-RACIAL IDENTIFICATION. THE MAJOR SECTION REPORTS THE RESULTS OF A RESEARCH PROJECT WHICH EMPLOYED ADVANCED STATISTICAL ANALYSES TO CATEGORIZE THE DIMENSIONS OF THE FACIAL FEATURES (E.G. NOSE, EYES, LIPS, FACE SHAPE) WHICH ARE USED MOST OFTEN IN IDENTIFICATION PROCEDURES. THE DYNAMIC PROPERTIES OF PERSONAL APPEARANCE IDENTIFICATION WERE ALSO INVESTIGATED. THESE PROPERTIES INCLUDE SPEECH, GAIT, POSTURE, AND MOVEMENT. THREE DIFFERENT MEDIA (MONOCHROMATIC PHOTOGRAPHY, COLOR PHOTOGRAPHY, AND VIDEO TAPE) WERE COMPARED TO MEASURE THEIR RELATIVE EFFECT ON THE ACCURACY OF WITNESS IDENTIFICATION. THE APPENDICES CONTAIN INFORMATION ON INEXPENSIVE MUGSHOT CAMERAS. (SNI ABSTRACT)