title: Configural and featural information in facial-composite images.
abstract: Eyewitnesses are often invited to construct a facial composite, an image created of the person they saw commit a crime that is used by law enforcement to locate criminal suspects. In the current paper, the effectiveness of composite images was investigated from traditional feature systems (E-FIT and PRO-fit), where participants (face constructors) selected individual features to build the face, and a more recent holistic system (EvoFIT), where they 'evolved' a composite by repeatedly selecting from arrays of complete faces. Further participants attempted to name these composites when seen as an unaltered image, or when blurred, rotated, linearly stretched or converted to a photographic negative. All of the manipulations tested reduced correct naming of the composites overall except (i) for a low level of blur, for which naming improved for holistic composites but reduced for feature composites, and (ii) for 100% linear stretch, for which a substantial naming advantage was observed. Results also indicated that both featural (facial elements) and configural (feature spacing) information were useful for recognition in both types of composite system, but highly-detailed information was more accurate in the feature-based than in the holistic method. The naming advantage of linear stretch was replicated using a forensically more-practical procedure with observers viewing an unaltered composite sideways. The work is valuable to police practitioners and designers of facial-composite systems.
authors.affiliation: University of Winchester, Winchester SO22 4NR, UK.
authors.forename: Charlie D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Frowd
authors.affiliation: HMP Glenochil, Stirling FK10 3AD, UK.
authors.forename: Sharrome
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Central Lancashire, PR1 2HE, UK.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fodarella
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Central Lancashire, PR1 2HE, UK.
authors.forename: Faye
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Skelton
authors.affiliation: HMP Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH11 3LN, UK.
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fields
authors.affiliation: University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield HD1 3DH, UK.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Central Lancashire, PR1 2HE, UK.
authors.forename: John E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Marsh
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Central Lancashire, PR1 2HE, UK.
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Thorley
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Central Lancashire, PR1 2HE, UK.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Central Lancashire, PR1 2HE, UK.
authors.forename: Leah
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Greenwood
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Central Lancashire, PR1 2HE, UK.
authors.forename: Louisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Date
authors.affiliation: Scientific Support, Lancashire Constabulary, PR4 5SB, UK.
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kearley
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Stirling, FK9 4LA, UK.
authors.forename: Alex H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: McIntyre
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Stirling, FK9 4LA, UK.
authors.forename: Peter J B
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Hancock
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D056667:Biometric Identification / Q000379:methods*; D005145:Face / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010781:Photography; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Configural; Crime; Criminal suspects; Facial composite; Feature; Identification