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Creating fair lineups for suspects with distinctive features

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Zarkadi, Theodora, Wade, Kimberley A. and Stewart, Neil, 1974-. (2009) Creating fair lineups for suspects with distinctive features. Psychological Science, Vol.20 (No.12). pp. 1448-1453. ISSN 0956-7976

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2009.02463.x

Abstract

In their descriptions, eyewitnesses often refer to a culprit's distinctive facial features. However, in a police lineup, selecting the only member with the described distinctive feature is unfair to the suspect and provides the police with little further information. For fair and informative lineups, the distinctive feature should be either replicated across foils or concealed on the target. In the present experiments, replication produced more correct identifications in target-present lineups—without increasing the incorrect identification of foils in target-absent lineups—than did concealment. This pattern, and only this pattern, is predicted by the hybrid-similarity model of recognition.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HV Social pathology. Social and public welfare B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
Divisions:	Faculty of Science > Psychology
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Eyewitness identification -- Research, Face perception -- Research, Similarity (Psychology), Identification (Psychology)
Journal or Publication Title:	Psychological Science
Publisher:	Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
ISSN:	0956-7976
Date:	December 2009
Volume:	Vol.20
Number:	No.12
Number of Pages:	6
Page Range:	pp. 1448-1453
Identification Number:	10.1111/j.1467-9280.2009.02463.x
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Access rights to Published version:	Restricted or Subscription Access
Funder:	Economic and Social Research Council (Great Britain) (ESRC)
Grant number:	RES-000-23-1372 (ESRC), RES-062- 23-0952 (ESRC)
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URI:	http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/2553