Eyewitness identification

Eyewitness identification

Connelly, Laura. Cross-Racial Identifications: Solutions to the “They All Look Alike” Effect., 2015. Print

The article highlighted the effect on eyewitness identifying perpetrators’ and the impact on own-race bias during the process. The target audience from the study is white, black African-American, and Hispanic. People from this race group would visit a convenience store interact with clerks from the subgroups while shopping and paying for goods and leaving the store. After about two to three hours later, the clerks were asked by an investigator to identify the customers through a photo array. The article concludes the highest percentages of people identified were from the same race. It Confirms the own-race bias phenomenon that people recognize perpetrators from their same race faster than others.  It affects the accuracy in describing a person, and an eyewitness should identify features correctly of a person of the same race. The article also supports that familiarity and attitude enhance the identification of people of the same race. The article is reliable as it offers adequate information and ideas that are helpful in the topic of study.

Brigham, J. C., Maass, A., Snyder, L. D., & Spaulding, K. (1982). Accuracy of eyewitness identification in a field setting. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 42(4), 673–681. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.42.4.673

The article illustrates the accuracy of identification in a field’s scenario. The audience is white and black clerks from a convenience store who are told to identify two customers who just left the store two hours earlier. The article explains that through a line up of photographs, the identification in terms of accuracy was correct about one-third of the time. It illustrates that there is slight own race bias inclined towards the whites while identifying a black customer. The cross-racial experiences affect the white’s ability to identify the black though overall, the accuracy was based on own-race recognition. Thus, this source is reliable and contains recent relevant ideas, and it gives paramount information that assists in the completion of this project

Valentine, T., Pickering, A., & Darling, S. (2003). Characteristics of eyewitness identification that predict the outcome of real lineups. Applied Cognitive Psychology: The Official Journal of the Society for Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, 17(8), 969-993.

This source highlights the ability of an eyewitness to identify a suspect among many line ups accurately. The audience was random eyewitness, given many opportunities to identify a suspect among many lineups. It outlines that a suspect was likely to be determined if the origin was white European and age below 30 rather than African-American. The witness gave a detailed description of the suspect within a minute and would move to the next person. This only possible if the characteristics match the suspect on the lineup. The conclusion drawn from the source was cross race was not applicable, and no bias used. The source is relevant and offers information on the ability to vividly describe a person according to race.

Smith, S. M., Lindsay, R. C., Pryke, S., & Dysart, J. E. (2001). Predictors of eyewitness errors: Can false identifications be diagnosed in the cross-race situation?. Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, 7(1), 153.

This article highlighted the errors involved during the identification process and the reasons. The audience engaged during the analysis was Asian and white participants. It illustrates that the identification of a perpetrator was after watching videotaped cases. The perpetrator was either Asian or white. Conclusions drawn are that 67% of the cases, the suspect was accurately identified according to the own races cases as compared to other races. The source has relevant ideas and will be helpful in the project.

Smith, S. M., Stinson, V., & Prosser, M. A. (2004). Do they all look alike? An exploration of decision-making strategies in cross-race facial identifications. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science/Revue Canadienne des sciences du comportement, 36(2), 146.

The article highlights the cross-race and own-race bias phenomenon in a scenario where people were of the same race. The audience participating was Caucasian of origin. The task involved identifying a suspect based on cross-race and own race facial recognition. The article further elaborates that there was a little difference in the two phenomena, and they had a slight impact. Although other issues arose whereby race affects clarity and memory and overall, the confidence in identifying a suspect based on how they look like. This article is relevant as the ideas brought give vast information on the facial recognition process and the impacts on race.

Wright, D. B., Boyd, C. E., & Tredoux, C. G. (2001). A field study of own-race bias in South Africa and England. Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, 7(1), 119–133. https://doi.org/10.1037/1076-8971.7.1.119

The source highlighted on own-race bias phenomenon. The audience directed was black and white participants from South Africa and England. People approached the participants from both races. The article elaborates that later on, after a lineup of photographs array one at a time, then simultaneously, recognition was better according to own race. This conclusion was drawn from an observation in both countries. The race was also found to affect the confidence and accuracy of identification; people would lean more on their own race than cross race. This article is relevant as have paramount information helpful to the topic.

Leinfelt, F. H. (2004). Descriptive eyewitness testimony: The influence of emotionality, racial identification, question style, and selective perception. Criminal Justice Review, 29(2), 317-340.

The article highlights issues that affect the identification of a suspect, especially the impact of race. It illustrates that eyewitness is influenced by various variables that lead to the recognition process. Students from Midwestern university did a staged crime. Findings, according to the source is that the recall of a perpetrator is influenced by race. It affects the accuracy as other variables arise in conjunction with the racial aspect. The real things in the surroundings are noted, and less attention is usually placed on the perpetrator’s description or behavior. The article is useful in that; it explains that the eyewitness in convicting a suspect is less accurate. Hence, additional resources should be considered.

Wilson, J. P., Hugenberg, K., & Bernstein, M. J. (2013). The Cross‐Race Effect and Eyewitness Identification: How to Improve Recognition and Reduce Decision Errors in Eyewitness Situations. Social Issues and Policy Review, 7(1), 83-113.

This source illustrates the effect of the wrong identification and conviction of a person. It elaborates the story Cornelius Dupree convicted for 30 years following error in facial recognition and memory from the victim. The victim was from a different race and made an error in identifying the suspect. The article concludes that often, people of a different race in crime are hard to locate, especially if the eyewitness is of a different race. The article has paramount information that is relevant as it explains in detail the cross-race effect and explicit consequences of the error.

National Research Council. (2015). Identifying the culprit: Assessing eyewitness identification. National Academies Press.

The source describes the aspect of the own-race bias phenomenon in eyewitness identification and the variables during the process. The study involved recall and analysis done showed that recall of correct description only occurs to people of the same race.  It notes that the duration of exposure during viewing in a lineup increases their own race bias as people fail to assess all the descriptions. More so, the recognition is based on memory and recall. The articles highlight that cross race has influenced the errors made in identification leading to wrongful convictions. This article is relevant as it concludes that race affects the accuracy of identification.

Li, K. (2010). Who Did You See-An Evaluation of the Criminal Justice System’s Response to the Danger of Eyewitness Misidentification? Auckland UL, Rev., 16, 217.

This article illustrates the story of Jenifer Thompson, who was attacked at her apartment. The description of the perpetrator given through a sketch belonged to a man, Ronald cotton. It further elaborates how the description given was closely matching to features of a man in custody with a different crime. Another victim with a similar ordeal to Jennifer on the same night was shown the array of photos but could not identify the perpetrator. The consequence of making the wrong identification is wrongful conviction. The article is useful in the project as it gives the conclusion of the dangers of identifying a wrong person. It offers information on that eyewitness as testimony is not accurate and, recognition is based on memory and recall.