Recommendations for Properly Conducted Lineup Identification Tasks (From Adult Eyewitness Testimony: Current Trends and Developments, P 223-244, 1994, David Frank Ross, et al, eds. -- See NCJ-159543)

• NCJ Number: 159554
• Author(s): G L Wells; E P Seelau; S M Rydell; C A E Luus
• Date Published: 1994
• Length: 22 pages
• Grant Number(s): SES-9022182
• Sponsoring Agency: National Science Foundation
• Sale Source: Cambridge University Press
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

The authors contend eyewitness accounts are unreliable due to inherent limitations in human information processing and methods used to obtain information from eyewitnesses.

Abstract

The study of how to improve eyewitness accuracy by manipulating methods used to obtain information from eyewitnesses is known as a system-variable approach to eyewitness research. Unlike studies of inherent deficiencies associated with eyewitnesses, system-variable research can reveal ways of improving the accuracy of eyewitness accounts. The authors offer 10 recommendations to improve the conduct of lineup identification tasks, minimize the rate of false identifications, and maximize the rate of accurate identifications: (1) verbal descriptions of the suspect should be obtained from all eyewitnesses prior to conducting lineups; (2) lineups should contain at least five appropriate distractors for every one suspect; (3) distractors should be chosen to match the eyewitness's verbal description of the suspect; (4) the number of potential distractors who match the description should exceed the number of distractors needed; (5) separate lineups should be conducted for each eyewitness in multiple witness cases; (6) lineup administrators should not be aware of which person is the suspect and which persons are distractors; (7) eyewitnesses should be told explicitly that the perpetrator may or may not be in the lineup; (8) eyewitnesses should first be asked to indicate whether the suspect is present in the lineup and only if eyewitnesses respond affirmatively should they be asked to indicate which lineup member is the suspect in question; (9) eyewitnesses should be asked how certain they are that the identified person is the suspect; and (10) all lineup phases and aspects should be meticulously recorded, preferably on videotape. In general, lineups should be conducted to obtain information using a recognition task that is not available using a recall task. Further, the identification process should be governed by both memorial processes and extramemorial factors. 67 references, 5 notes, and 2 tables