Deck 5: B: Eyewitness Testimony

Question 1

List the correct decisions associated with both target-present and target-absent lineups.Also,list the potential errors that can be made in the lineup identification process and whether these errors are known or unknown to the police.

Answer 1

-Target-present lineup: The correct decision is a correct identification.
-Target-absent lineup: The correct decision is a correct rejection.
-The potential errors associated with the lineup identification process include:
a.Foil identification (known error to police)with a target-present or target-absent lineup
b.False rejection (unknown error)with a target-present lineup
c.False identification (unknown error)with a target-absent lineup

Question 2

Distinguish between a simultaneous and a sequential lineup.

Answer 2

-Simultaneous lineup: The witness is presented with all lineup members at the same time; this involves a relative judgment (i.e.,lineup members are compared to each other and the one that looks most like the culprit may be identified).
-Sequential lineup: The lineup members are presented to the witness serially.The witness must make a final decision on whether a given lineup member is the culprit before being presented with any other lineup member; this involves an absolute judgment (i.e.,each lineup member is compared to the witness's memory of the culprit and then a decision is made as to whether the particular lineup member is indeed the culprit).

Question 3

List the five reasons why photo lineups are more common than live lineups.

Answer 3

■ They are less time-consuming to construct. The police can choose foils from their mug shot (pictures of people who have been charged with crimes in the past) files rather than find live persons.
■ They are por . The police are able to bring the photo array to the witness rather than have the witness go to the police department.
■ The suspect does not have the right to counsel being present when a witness looks at a photo array. This right is present with live lineups.
■ Because photos are static, the police need not worry that the suspect's behaviour may draw attention to himself or herself, thus invalidating the photo array.
■ A witness may be less anxious examining a photo array than a live lineup.

Question 4

Distinguish between the cue-utilization hypothesis and the unusualness hypothesis as explanations for the weapon focus effect.

Question 5

In general terms,how does the enhanced cognitive interview differ from the original cognitive interview? Name and define three of the five techniques specific to the enhanced cognitive interview.

Question 6

Define the misinformation effect within the context of eyewitness research.In addition,fully describe the three most common explanations for this effect

Question 7

State two difficulties with the use of hypnosis in the eyewitness context.

Question 8

What is the cross-race effect? Describe the three common explanations as to why the cross-race effect occurs.

Question 9

On the basis of the research you have read in the textbook,list five recommendations that you would make to police forces regarding how they should conduct police lineups.

Question 10

Distinguish between recall versus recognition tests of memory as dependent variables in research.Describe how recall and recognition responses made by witnesses can be examined.

Question 11

Distinguish between a system variable and an estimator variable as related to eyewitness research.Provide one example of each.

Question 12

Describe the three major types of biases that have been found to increase false positives in lineup identifications.