Simultaneous v. sequential lineups: What do we really know?

Both conceptual and metaanalyses of the effects of simultaneous and sequential lineup testing procedures on false alarm and hit rates suggest that recent interest in moving to sequential lineups might be premature. A simple criterion-shift model based on signal detection analysis accounted for the results from the metaanalysis raising concern that the previously accepted relative v. absolute decision strategy view may be incorrect. The accepted view that hit rates will be unaffected by a change in procedure may be incorrect. Monte Carlo simulation results raise the possibility that serial position might play a much larger and more complicated role in performance on sequential lineups than has been considered. Much more research is needed before the sequential procedure is adopted

The effect of lineup member similarity on recognition accuracy in simultaneous and sequential lineups.

Two experiments investigated whether remembering is affected by the similarity of the study face relative to the alternatives in a lineup. In simultaneous and sequential lineups, choice rates and false alarms were larger in low compared to high similarity lineups, indicating criterion placement was affected by lineup similarity structure (Experiment 1). In Experiment 2, foil choices and similarity ranking data for target present lineups were compared to responses made when the target was removed from the lineup (only the 5 foils were presented). The results indicated that although foils were selected more often in target-removed lineups in the simultaneous compared to the sequential condition, responses shifted from the target to one of the foils at equal rates across lineup procedures

The role of eyewitness identification evidence in felony case dispositions.

We addressed the question of whether felony case dispositions are associated with eyewitness identification evidence. Toward this end, 725 felony cases (rape, robbery, and assault) were randomly sampled from the archives of a District Attorney’s Office in a large south-western city in the United States. Positive eyewitness identification evidence was more likely in cases issued compared to those rejected for prosecution although other case factors were associated with issuing outcomes to a larger extent. Additionally, eyewitness identification evidence was stronger in prosecuted compared to rejected cases in which eyewitness testimony was the sole evidence against the defendant. Neither the presence of multiple identifications nor non-identifications of the suspect varied across issuing outcomes. The findings are discussed in relation to additional research that is needed at the police and prosecution stages to advance public policy development with respect to the evaluation of eyewitness identification evidence

Limitations of expert psychology testimony on eyewitness identification.

Limitations of expert psychology testimony on eyewitness identification

Rape shield laws and sexual behavior evidence: effects of consent level and women's sexual history on rape allegations.

Rape shield laws, which limit the introduction of sexual history evidence in rape trials, challenge the view that women with extensive sexual histories more frequently fabricate charges of rape than other women. The present study examined the relationship between women’s actual sexual history and their reporting rape in hypothetical scenarios. Female participants (college students and a community sample, which included women working as prostitutes and topless dancers, and women living in a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center) imagined themselves in dating scenarios that described either a legally definable act of rape or consensual sexual intercourse. Additionally, within the rape scenarios, level of consensual intimate contact (i.e., foreplay) preceding rape was examined to determine its influence on rape reporting. Women were less likely to say that they would take legal action in response to the rape scenarios if they had extensive sexual histories, or if they had consented to an extensive amount of intimate contact before the rape. In response to the consensual sexual intercourse scenarios, women with more extensive sexual histories were not more likely to say that they would report rape, even when the scenario provided them with a motive for seeking revenge against their dating partner

Decision making and information integration in the courts: The setting of bail.

Two studies were conducted to determine how real felony court judges decide the amount of bail to set. In the first, the judges were presented with ficti-tious case histories containing the relevant information in a factorial design. In the second, multiple regression techniques were used to examine the impact of different kinds of information on decisions made by judges in actual bail hearings. In the simulated cases, the judges seemed to be influenced most by the degree to which the accused was tied to the area and whether or not he had a prior criminal record. However, the judges ' actual bail decisions were not at all affected by these variables. Instead, their decisions were almost ex-clusively determined by the district attorneys ' recommendations. Both the district attorneys ' and the defense attorneys ' actual recommendations were found to be primarily based upon the severity of the crime. These results were discussed in terms of the utility of simulation and observational research for drawing applied and theoretical conclusions. In the American legal system, people accused of a crime are innocent until proven guilty. Proof of guilt is established only after appropriate court proceedings. A prob-lem arises, however, because there is often a long delay between the time a person is accused of a crime and the time that his trial comes to court. How should the accused indi-vidual be treated during this delay? If he is released, he may not voluntarily appear when his trial comes to court; if guilty, he may even commit additional crimes. On the other hand, detention of the accused may result in an innocent individual being held in jail for as long as a year (Goldfarb, 1965). Bail setting evolved in the American legal system in an attempt to deal with this societal problem. Bail hearings are usually held in public court soon after a person is indicted for a crime. The generally accepted legal purpose of these hearings is to determine the amount The data reported in this research were collecte