NCJ Number
52187
Journal
Medicine, Science and the Law Volume: 18 Issue: 4 Dated: (OCTOBER 1978) Pages: 255-262
Date Published
1978
Length
8 pages
Annotation
THIS PAPER REPORTS RESULTS OF A SIMULATION OF A LINEUP USING RECOMMENDED PROCEDURES. THE LINEUP WAS HELD 3 DAYS AFTER SUBJECTS HAD BEEN INCIDENTAL OBSERVERS OF A MAN IN A WAITING ROOM.
Abstract
THIS ENGLISH STUDY WAS DESIGNED TO TEST THE PROPOSITION THAT A CASUAL OBSERVER MAY MAKE A FALSE POSITIVE IDENTIFICATION OF ANOTHER PERSON AT AN IDENTIFICATION PARADE, OR LINEUP. ALL 68 SUBJECTS WERE DRAWN FROM THE GENERAL POPULATION; 15 WERE SHOWN PHOTOGRAPHS AND ASKED TO IDENTIFY THE MAN THEY HAD CASUALLY OBSERVED IN A WAITING ROOM WHILE 53 WERE ASKED TO PICK OUT THE MAN WITHOUT PREVIOUSLY VIEWING PHOTOGRAPHS. OF THE 68 SUBJECTS, 21 MADE A FALSE POSITIVE IDENTIFICATION AND 6 MADE THE IDENTIFICATION WITH A HIGH LEVEL OF CERTAINTY. OF THE 15 WHO SAW PHOTOGRAPHS, 12 MADE FALSE POSITIVE IDENTIFICATIONS. THE CORRECT IDENTIFICATION WAS MADE BY 2 PERSONS WHO WERE SHOWN PHOTOGRAPHS AND 27 PERSONS WHO WERE NOT SHOWN PHOTOGRAPHS (51 PERCENT). THE OVERALL FALSE POSITIVE IDENTIFICATION RATE WAS 44 PERCENT AND THE CORRECT IDENTIFICATION RATE WAS 43 PERCENT. THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES DUE TO AGE OR SEX, AND THE EX-POLICEMEN DID NO BETTER THAN THE CIVILIANS. A TABLE SUMMARIZES THE STUDY RESULTS. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (GLR)