Super-recognisers: face recognition performance after variable delay intervals

Outstanding long‐term face recognition of suspects is a hallmark of the exceptionally skilled police ‘super‐recognisers’ (SRs). Yet, research investigating SR's memory for faces mainly employed brief retention intervals. Therefore, in Experiment 1, 597 participants (121 SRs) viewed 10 target videos and attempted identification of targets from 10 target‐present line‐ups after 1–56 days. In Experiment 2, 1,421 participants (301 SRs) viewed 20 target videos, and after a baseline of no delay to 28 days,—10 target‐present and 10 target‐absent line‐ups, to assess correct line‐up rejections. Overall, delay positively correlated with hits but not with correct rejections. Most, but not all SRs, made more correct identifications and correct rejections than controls at all retention intervals, demonstrating that many SRs possess enhanced long‐term face memory. This research adds to the knowledge of SR's skillsets, and enhances the case for the selection of SRs to identity critical roles—particularly policing

The Grizzly, January 26, 2006

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Observed and Celebrated at Ursinus • Renowned Rodin Exhibit Premieres in Berman Museum • Ursinus Establishes Salinger Scholarship and Offers Salinger\u27s Dorm Room • Francophone Film Festival at Ursinus • Artist to Perform in Lansdale • Uninvited Guests • Excellent Opportunity is Available through Career Services • Turning Over a New Leaf • My Personal Pact Against Segregation • Weigh in on Proper Fitness Center Etiquette • Opinions: Whole Foods Market Harvests Natural Energy; The New Prejudice: The Unruly Child? • Fiery Free Throws from Fureyhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1703/thumbnail.jp

Assessing the long-term face memory of highly superior and typical-ability short-term face recognisers

Outstanding long-term unfamiliar face recognition ability is the hallmark of the exceptionally skilled ‘super-recognisers’. Indeed, international police super-recogniser units rely on members identifying unfamiliar suspects from CCTV after substantial delays. Yet, virtually all research has employed brief retention intervals to evaluate super-recognisers’ capabilities. To address this gap in the literature, in Experiment 1, participants (n = 597), including 84 super-recognisers, viewed 10 60s target-actor videos and identified targets from 10 target-present line-ups after random delays of 1, 7, 14, 28, or 56 days. In Experiment 2, participants (n = 1421), including 206 super-recognisers, viewed 20 30s target-actor videos and identified targets from 10 target-present and 10 target-absent line-ups after delays of virtually none, 1, 7, and 28 days. Correct target-present identifications, and with smaller effect sizes, correct target-absent line-up rejections were predicted by short-term face memory and matching test scores, and decision confidence. Delay also predicted correct target-present identifications but not correct rejections. With higher confidence, most super-recognisers (82.5%) individually exceeded overall control mean hit rate accuracy. However, only a minority of comparisons were significant (28.5%). The important applied implication was the demonstration that not all super-recognisers can sustain their skills over longer retention intervals. Therefore, recruitment to super-recogniser research groups, or roles in policing or security require longer-term face memory tests. Important theoretically was the finding that super-recogniser’s estimated forgetting curve was shallower than that of controls, implying that their enhanced mnemonic system for faces allows representations in memory to be more reliably sustained for far longer