NCJ Number
100302
Journal
Law and Human Behavior Volume: 9 Issue: 4 Dated: (December 1985) Pages: 415-424
Date Published
1985
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This study examined the possible effect of an own-race bias, the tendency for individuals to perceive more similarity in the appearance of other-race members than in their own, on lineup construction.
Abstract
A total of 90 black and 78 white undergraduates were asked to construct lineups using both black and white 'suspects.' On three of four measures their behavior was very similar when making white lineups, but different on black lineups. Relative to their performance on white lineups, white subjects became less selective on black lineups, while black subjects became even more selective on black lineups. Both groups displayed own-race bias by being more selective about own-race photographs than other-race photographs. This lessening of selectivity may make lineups constructed by constructors less fair than those constructed by same-race lineup constructors. 18 references. (Author abstract modified)