Publication Type

Journal Article

Version

acceptedVersion

Publication Date

10-2023

Abstract

Eyewitness testimony forms an important component in deciding whether a case can be prosecuted. Yet, many criminal perpetrators deliberately conceal their faces with disguises or under dim lighting, undermining eyewitness accuracy. This article reviews recent studies to characterize the factors that impair face recognition performance, specifically, various forms of face disguise (e.g., face masks, sunglasses) and different lighting conditions. Research shows that identification accuracy, alongside eyewitness confidence and decision bias, all affect the reliability of eyewitness accounts. A consistent finding across studies is that face-identification accuracy can be improved by matching the viewing conditions during the police lineup with those during the crime (e.g., showing masked faces during the lineup should the perpetrator be masked). Current face recognition research provides specific recommendations for optimizing the procedures in eyewitness testimony.

Keywords

face memory, eyewitness testimony, lighting, disguise, face masks, encoding specificity

Discipline

Courts | Criminal Law | Criminal Procedure

Research Areas

Public Interest Law, Community and Social Justice

Publication

Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences

Volume

10

Issue

2

First Page

264

Last Page

271

ISSN

2372-7322

Identifier

10.1177/23727322231194458

Publisher

SAGE Publications

Copyright Owner and License

Authors

Additional URL

https://doi.org/10.1177/23727322231194458

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