Evaluating earwitness identification procedures: adapting pre-parade instructions and parade procedure

Smith, HMJ ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2712-5527, Roeser, J ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4463-0923, Pautz, N ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5366-5925, Davis, JP, Robson, J, Wright, D ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2300-5915, Braber, N ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2611-1190 and Stacey, PC ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6018-8979, 2022. Evaluating earwitness identification procedures: adapting pre-parade instructions and parade procedure. Memory. ISSN 0965-8211

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Abstract

Voice identification parades can be unreliable, as earwitness responses are error-prone. In this paper we tested performance across serial and sequential procedures, and varied pre-parade instructions, with the aim of reducing errors. The participants heard a target voice and later attempted to identify it from a parade. In Experiment 1 they were either warned that the target may or may not be present (standard warning) or encouraged to consider responding ‘not present’ because of the associated risk of a wrongful conviction (strong warning). Strong warnings prompted a conservative criterion shift, with participants less likely to make a positive identification regardless of whether the target was present. In contrast to previous findings, we found no statistically reliable difference in accuracy between serial and sequential parades. Experiment 2 ruled out a potential confound in Experiment 1. Taken together, our results suggest that adapting pre-parade instructions provides a simple way of reducing the risk of false identifications.

Item Type:	Journal article
Publication Title:	Memory
Creators:	Smith, H.M.J., Roeser, J., Pautz, N., Davis, J.P., Robson, J., Wright, D., Braber, N. and Stacey, P.C.
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis (Routledge)
Date:	6 October 2022
ISSN:	0965-8211
Identifiers:	Number Type 10.1080/09658211.2022.2129065 DOI 1601426 Other
Rights:	This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Memory on 6 October 2022, available at: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/09658211.2022.2129065
Divisions:	Schools > School of Arts and Humanities Schools > School of Social Sciences
Record created by:	Laura Ward
Date Added:	23 Sep 2022 13:54
Last Modified:	06 Oct 2023 03:00
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/47103

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