NCJ Number
144626
Journal
Criminal Justice and Behavior Volume: 20 Issue: 3 Dated: (September 1993) Pages: 280-292
Date Published
1993
Length
13 pages
Annotation
A study using an experimental research design examined the potential carryover effects of forming an Identi-kit composite and writing a verbal description on the identification of an assailant from a photoarray.
Abstract
The impetus for the study was previous research revealing that some forms of post-event activity, such as working with a sketch artist or viewing mugshots, has a negative affect on the subsequent identification performance of an eyewitness. In the present study, the effects of the Identi-kit composite and the written description were compared to a control condition in which neither was used. The participants were 143 undergraduate students at the University of California in Los Angeles. They were shown a videotape of a staged robbery and were later questioned about the event, in some cases after providing a written verbal description or using the Identi-kit approach. Results revealed that forming an Identi-kit composite increased witness sensitivity, causing participants to be less likely to select any photograph. In contrast, writing a description increased the likelihood that participants identified the photograph of the assailant. Neither approach affected the likelihood of misidentification. Tables and 11 references (Author abstract modified)