Our research shows the smallest of appearance changes are enough to lead to mistaken identifications in a police line-up. It doesn’t bode well for the justice system.
Articles on Police lineup
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Human memory doesn’t work like a video camera, simply recording a scene as it happens. But researchers know how to help children recall information accurately.
Eyewitness testimony can hold a lot of weight with jurors. But eyewitnesses aren’t always right, and poor investigative practices can make matters worse.
Initial research found witness pupils got bigger when correctly identifying a criminal.
New study reveals small variations in the background colour of photos in police lineups can increase misidentification.
Even the world’s best available training – used to train police, border control agents and other security personnel – does not compensate for natural talent in face recognition.
Child eyewitnesses make more mistakes than adults when identifying criminals. A new police lineup design could help us assess their reliability and prevent wrongful convictions.
As many as one in 50 people are face blind, meaning they can’t tell one face from another.
Top contributors
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Professor of Optometry, Glasgow Caledonian University
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Senior Lecturer, Vision Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University
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Lecturer in Optometry, University of Bradford
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Associate Professor, Psychology, University of Regina
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Sessional Academic, Edith Cowan University
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Assistant Professor of Psychology, Arizona State University
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Senior lecturer, Sheffield Hallam University
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Lecturer in Psychology, Clemson University
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Post-doctoral Research Fellow, The University of Queensland
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Senior Lecturer in Psychology, The Open University
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Reader, Goldsmiths, University of London
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Emeritus Professor, Faculty of Health, Deakin University
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Post Doctoral Research Associate in Psychology, The Open University
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Scientia Fellow, UNSW
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Senior Lecturer in Psychology, University of Sussex