NCJ Number
44461
Date Published
1977
Length
222 pages
Annotation
RESEARCH ON THE ACCURACY OF PERSONAL DESCRIPTIONS IN WITNESS TESTIMONY IS REPORTED, AND CONCLUSIONS ARE DRAWN FOR POLICE INVESTIGATIONS AND FOR COMPUTER STORAGE OF SUSPECT DESCRIPTION DATA.
Abstract
WHEN IDENTIFYING INDIVIDUALS IT IS IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER BEHAVIORAL ASPECTS WHICH ARE CONSTANT AND IDIOSYNCRATIC, SUCH AS GESTURES AND WAYS OF WALKING AND TALKING, BECAUSE BEHAVIORAL MANNERISMS CANNOT BE CHANGED AT WILL. IN GERMANY, INFORMATION REGARDING SUCH CHARACTERISTICS HAS BEEN COLLECTED IN CARD FILES AND HAND-PROCESSED AT THE INTELLIGENCE SERVICE OF THE FEDERAL CRIMINAL POLICE. TO SAVE TIME AND IMPROVE INVESTIGATIONS, A CENTRAL DATA BANK IS PLANNED. A RESEARCH PROGRAM WAS STARTED TO ENSURE THAT ONLY RELEVANT AND USEFUL DATA WOULD BE STORED. THIS PROGRAM INCLUDED A TEST IN WHICH 200 PEOPLE WERE ASKED TO DESCRIBE PRECISELY AND COMPREHENSIVELY THE LEADING ACTOR OF A MOVIE THEY JUST HAD BEEN SHOWN. RESULTS SHOWED THAT A PERSON'S OUTWARD APPEARANCE--FIGURE, FACE, HAIR, AND CLOTHES, ARE ESPECIALLY WELL PERCEIVED. THUS, WHEN QUESTIONING A WITNESS ONE SHOULD ALWAYS ASK FOR THOSE CHARACTERISTICS. ONE SHOULD REMEMBER, HOWEVER, THAT CLOTHES AND HAIR CAN BE CHANGED QUICKLY. PECULIARITIES OF A PERSON'S BEARING, GAIT, EYES, AND BEHAVIOR SHOULD BE RECORDED IN ALL CASES. DETAIL AND ACCURACY OF DESCRIPTION LARGELY DEPEND UPON THE EMOTIONAL INVOLVEMENT OF THE OBSERVER; THE STATEMENT OF AN UNINVOLVED WITNESS MAY BE MORE ACCURATE. A WITNESS IS RARELY QUESTIONED IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE COMMISSION OF AN OFFENSE. RESEARCH RESULTS HAVE SHOWN THAT AFTER SEVERAL DAYS OBSERVATION MAY BE MORE ACCURATE AND THAT CONVERSATION WITH OTHER WITNESSES MAY REFRESH THE MEMORY. THE DESCRIPTIVE QUESTIONING METHOD KNOWN AS RATING PROCEDURE HAS PROVED TO BE THE MOST EFFECTIVE; ABOUT 20 DIFFERENT WAYS TO DESCRIBE EACH FEATURE ARE LISTED, AND THE OBSERVER CHOOSES THE MOST APPROPRIATE RATING (3-TO A HIGH EXTENT, 2-TO SOME EXTENT, 1-HARDLY, 0-NOT AT ALL). BESIDES THIS RATING CATALOGUE, POLICE WILL CONTINUE TO RELY ON SPONTANEOUS DESCRIPTIONS. BOTH PROCEDURES APPLIED TOGETHER WILL PROVIDE A MORE COMPREHENSIVE PICTURE OF THE PERSON OBSERVED AND ASSIST POLICE INVESTIGATION. AN INDEX, BIBLIOGRAPHY, TABLES, AND STATISTICS ARE PROVIDED. A QUESTIONNAIRE AND SAMPLE TESTS ARE APPENDED. --GERMAN. (ING)