Distinguishing Accurate From Inaccurate Eyewitness Identifications: A Reality Monitoring Approach (From Adult Eyewitness Testimony: Current Trends and Developments, P 273-299, 1994, David Frank Ross, et al, eds. -- See NCJ-159543)

• NCJ Number: 159556
• Author(s): L B Stern; D Dunning
• Date Published: 1994
• Length: 27 pages
• Sale Source: Cambridge University Press
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Eyewitness identification tends to be one of the most compelling types of evidence presented in police investigations and criminal trials; therefore, social and behavioral scientists have focused on identifying factors that indicate whether an eyewitness has provided accurate or erroneous testimony.

Abstract

Researchers have been successful in identifying general factors that prompt accuracy and error in eyewitness identification. Factors including time of day, duration of exposure, presence of absence of a weapon, interrogation procedures, and lineup construction can enhance or impair an individual's memory of an event. At the same time, researchers indicate some sort of test or examination should be given to witnesses to establish identification accuracy or inaccuracy. The authors review past research on markers of eyewitness accuracy, develop a theory concerning potentially divergent decision strategies of accurate and inaccurate witnesses, and describe the findings of two studies that examine these differences. They conclude there are measurable differences between accurate and inaccurate witnesses; that, when informed about these differences, criminal justice officials may be better able to assess the validity of individual eyewitness identifications; and that the validity of identification procedures can be improved by asking eyewitnesses how they reached their decisions. 53 references, 3 notes, and 4 tables