Instruction bias and lineup presentation moderate the effects of administrator knowledge on eyewitness identification.
Pairs (N=234) of witnesses and lineup administrators completed an identification task in which administrator knowledge, lineup presentation, instruction bias, and target presence were manipulated. Administrator knowledge had the greatest effect on identifications of the suspect for simultaneous photospreads paired with biased instructions, with single-blind administrations increasing identifications of the suspect. When biased instructions were given, single-blind administrations produced fewer foil identifications than double-blind administrations. Administrators exhibited a greater proportion of biasing behaviors during single-blind administrations than during double-blind administrations. The diagnosticity of identifications of the suspect in double-blind administrations was double their diagnosticity in single-blind administrations. These results suggest that when biasing factors are present to increase a witness's propensity to guess, single-blind administrator behavior influences witnesses to identify the suspect.
Greathouse
Sarah M
SM
Department of Psychology, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York, 445 W. 59th Street, New York, NY 10019, USA.
Kovera
Margaret Bull
MB
D003416:Criminal Law; D005145:Face; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult