Tell me again about the face: Using repeated interviewing techniques to improve feature-based facial composite technologies

Facial composite technologies are used to produce visual resemblances of an offender. However, resemblances may be poor, particularly when composites are constructed using traditional `feature' composite systems deployed several days after the crime. In this case a witness may have forgotten important details about an offender's appearance. Engaging in early and repeated retrieval attempts could potentially overcome this issue. Experiment 1 showed that more recognisable feature composites were produced after participants had provided detailed face recall during two supported retrieval attempts, which included instructions to reinstate the context in which the target had been seen, free recall and cued recall. The first recall attempt was completed on the same day as viewing the target individual, and the second two days later, and immediately before composite construction (traditional forensic procedure). Experiment 2 showed that repeated interviewing only incurred a benefit when the same day interview provided ample retrieval support. The results suggest how traditional forensic procedures can be easily modified to improve the quality of feature composites, and thereby facilitate the detection of offenders

The role played by language in the interpretation of emotional facial expressions

This thesis examines the role played by language in the interpretation of emotional expression. Language labels may indirectly influence such tasks, organising and reactivating a useful repository of semantic knowledge (e.g. Barrett, Lindquist & Gendron, 2007). This proposal was explored using a series of semantic satiation experiments (Lindquist, Barrett, Bliss-Moreau & Russell, 2006). Participants repeated words 3 or 30 times before deciding whether two faces matched in emotional expression. Word type was manipulated across experiments (emotion labels, neutral labels and non-words); an indirect account would only predict reduced accuracy when participants experience semantic inaccessibility, achieved via massed repetition of an emotional label. However, reduced discrimination was found both after 30 (vs. 3) repetitions of any word, and two non-linguistic activities. Findings then suggest that the massed repetition decrement arises via a non-semantic mechanism, such as response uncertainty (e.g. Tian & Huber, 2010). However, an emotion-specific effect of language was also consistently observed. Participants showed facilitated performance after 3 and 30 repetitions of an emotion label, but only when it matched both expressions in the pair. This may suggest that language labels directly influence early emotion perception (Lupyan, 2007, 2012), or provide strategic support during paired discrimination (e.g. Roberson & Davidoff, 2000). A perceptual threshold procedure was used to test the direct assumption. Participants repeated an emotion or neutral label before deciding whether a briefly presented face did, or did not, display an emotional expression. In comparison to the neutral baseline, participants showed no facilitation in performance following exposure to emotion labels that were ‘weakly’ or ‘strongly’ congruent with the subsequently presented expression. Overall, findings inconsistently support the notion that language shapes the interpretation of emotional expression. This prompts discussion of how task demands may influence language-driven recruitment of conceptual knowledge, and the time-course across which these linked elements influence interpretation

Interviewing and visualisation techniques: Attempting to further improve EvoFIT facial composites

Victims of and witnesses to crime are asked to describe an offender using cognitive interviewing techniques (CI), before constructing a visual likeness of the face. The aim of the current experiment was to investigate whether composite construction using the EvoFIT holistic system would benefit from the parallel use of three enhancement techniques. The study manipulated the type of interview used to elicit a face description (CI vs. holistic cognitive interview, or H-CI) and trialled a visualisation technique for selecting faces (no visualisation vs. visualisation of external features). Also included was a new construction procedure for EvoFIT that requested constructors to focus on the region around the eyes when making face selections. Based on past research, it was anticipated that both the H-CI and external-feature visualisation would promote construction of a more identifiable composite (compared to when each technique was not used). Rather unexpectedly, the results revealed that neither technique improved correct naming of composites, yet an interaction was observed: visualisation of external features led to a benefit that approached significance when used in conjunction with the H-CI (cf. CI). However, when no external-feature visualisation was used, composites were better named following the more usual CI (cf. H-CI) protocol. Results are promising for the new method of face selection, which was used by all participants (focusing on the eye region). Indeed, in the baseline condition, where this was the only `enhancement' method used, naming of composites was 55% correct. Arguably, focusing on the character of the face during the H-CI may instate a processing style that is not well aligned with the new procedure of selecting faces according to the eye region. To overcome this misalignment of processing stages, we propose to ask constructors to focus on this region of the face during the H-CI itself. Implications for theory and police practice are discussed

Enhanced matching of children's faces in 'Super-recognisers' but not high-contact controls

Face matching is notoriously error-prone, and some work suggests additional difficulty when matching the faces of children. It is possible that individuals with natural proficiencies in adult face matching (“super-recognisers” [SRs]) will also excel at the matching of children’s faces, although other work implicates facilitations in typical perceivers who have high levels of contact with young children (e.g., nursery teachers). This study compared the performance of both of these groups on adult and child face matching to a group of low-contact controls. High- and lowcontact control groups performed at a remarkably similar level in both tasks, whereas facilitations for adult and child face matching were observed in some (but not all) SRs. As a group, the SRs performed better in the adult compared with the child task, demonstrating an extended own-age bias compared with controls. These findings suggest that additional exposure to children’s faces does not assist the performance in a face matching task, and the mechanisms underpinning superior recognition of adult faces can also facilitate the child face recognition. Real-world security organisations should therefore seek individuals with general facilitations in face matching for both adult and child face matching tasks

When Two Fields Collide: Identifying "Super-Recognisers" for Neuropsychological and Forensic Face Recognition Research.

In the last decade, a novel individual differences approach has emerged across the face recognition literature. While the field has long been concerned with prosopagnosia (the inability to recognise facial identity), it has more recently become clear that there are vast differences in face recognition ability within the typical population. "Super-recognisers" are those individuals purported to reside at the very top of this spectrum. On the one hand, these people are of interest to cognitive neuropsychologists who are motivated to explore the commonality of the face recognition continuum, whereas researchers from the forensic face matching field evaluate the implementation of super-recognisers into real-world police and security settings. These two rather different approaches have led to discrepancies in the definition of super-recognisers, and perhaps more fundamentally, the approach to identifying them, resulting in a lack of consistency that prohibits theoretical progress. Here, we review the protocols used in published work to identify super-recognisers, and propose a common definition and screening recommendations that can be adhered to across fields

Changes in Sexual Fantasy and Solitary Sexual Practice During Social Lockdown Among Young Adults in the UK

Introduction Pandemic-related social lockdown limited many sexual behaviors, but to date, no study has examined the perceived impact of social lockdown due to COVID-19 on sexual fantasy and solitary sexual behavior. Aims The present study sought to examine the perceived impact of social lockdown on sexual fantasy and solitary sexual behavior among UK young adults in various living situations. Methods A convenience sample of 565 adults aged 18–32 and living in the UK completed anonymous, web-based, study-specific questionnaires between May 14th to 18th, 2020, seven weeks after social lockdown was initiated. Mixed-method analyses were conducted. Main Outcome Measures The study presents qualitative and quantitative data. Criterion variables were measured dichotomously as increases (vs. no change) in sexual fantasy and increases (vs. no change) in pornography consumption. Predictor variables were living arrangement, relationship status, and post-lockdown changes in masturbation and pornography consumption. Results 34.3% engaged in more sexual fantasizing during lockdown; women were more likely than men to report this increase. Living context and relationship status were predictors of increased fantasizing. 30.44% reported an increase in at least one solitary sexual practice. This increase was associated with an increase in sexual fantasizing and also with increased pornography consumption. 19% of participants reported an increase in pornography use, with men being more likely than women to report this increase. Participants mostly attributed their increases to boredom, increased free time, and replacing partnered sex. Conclusion Shifts in sexual fantasizing and solitary sexual practices were predicted by living arrangements, relationship status, and gender. The present findings suggest that the assessment of sexual fantasy and solitary sexual activities may benefit patients presenting with pandemic-related stress. Although mostly exploratory, significant changes in sexual fantasy and solitary sexual practices were observed. A cross-sectional design, convenience sampling, and study-specific measures are limitations

Reevaluating the role of verbalisation of faces for composite production: Descriptions of offenders matter!

Standard forensic practice necessitates that a witness describes an offender’s face prior to constructing a visual likeness, a facial composite. However, describing a face can interfere with face recognition, although a delay between description and recognition theoretically should alleviate this issue. In Experiment 1, participants produced a free recall description either 3-4 hours or 2 days after intentionally or incidentally encoding a target face, and then constructed a composite using a modern ‘feature’ system immediately or after 30-minutes. Unexpectedly, correct naming of composites significantly reduced following the 30-minute delay between description and construction for targets encoded 2 days previously. In, Experiment 2, participants in these conditions gave descriptions that were better matched to their targets by independent judges, a result which suggests that the 30-minute delay actually impairs access to details of recalled descriptions that are valuable for composite effectiveness. Experiment 3 found the detrimental effect of description delay extended to composites constructed from a ‘holistic’ face production system. The results have real-world but counterintuitive implications for witnesses who construct a face one or two days after a crime: after having recalled the face to a practitioner, an appreciable delay (here, 30 minutes) should be avoided before starting face construction

Men and Women as Differential Social Barometers: Gender Effects of Perceived Friend Support on the Neuroticism-Loneliness-Well-Being Relationship in a Younger Adult Population

Loneliness and social isolation are well known to have detrimental effects on mental and physical health, and the perception of social support is frequently viewed as a protective factor. Yet, the beneficial effect varies when perceived support is considered with respect to gender and personality. We examined the mechanism of loneliness as a mediator of personality on health and moderation of this relationship by perceived social support and gender. Five hundred and thirty young adults (325 women) aged 18–32 years (Mage = 25.42, SD = 4.13) provided self-report assessments of personality, loneliness, perceived social support, general health and psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on well-being. Using a series of regression-based mediation and moderated mediation models, we found higher scores on extraversion to be associated with lower loneliness and better general health and well-being; higher neuroticism with greater loneliness and poorer general health. Being male and perceiving greater friend support moderated the neuroticism–loneliness–well-being relationship. Men higher on neuroticism were less able to benefit from lower loneliness when the perception of support from friends was greater, yet were less sensitive to the negative impact on the well-being of perceiving low levels of friend support. Effects suggest important gender differences with the potential to inform health interventions

EvoFIT facial composite images: a detailed assessment of impact on forensic practitioners, police investigators, victims, witnesses, offenders and the media

This paper assesses use of the EvoFIT facial composite system by police practitioners in the UK and overseas. Results reveal that this forensic system is used extensively: a total of 2,440 times since September 2013. With a suspect identification rate of 60% and a conviction rate of 17%, the impact of this forensic technique is appreciable for helping the police to identify offenders. It was also found that empirically-driven enhancement techniques were used frequently by police practitioners-including use of detailed context reinstatement and holistic techniques during interview, and asking the witness to focus on the eye-region during construction. Research evaluating EvoFIT images published in the media also revealed that composites were produced mostly for serious offences, in particular for sexual crimes. In addition, the vast majority were of male offenders, in their early 30's; victims were female (aged mid 20's to mid 30's); these demographics were similar to composites emerging from another recognition system, EFIT-V / 6. Although this exercise revealed that EvoFIT composites were sometimes published using a more optimal stretched mode, some were presented in a way that did not faithfully represent the constructed image, with the external features cropped. In conclusion, the EvoFIT system is clearly being deployed frequently, with appreciable impact, in the fight against crime

Changes in Sexual Desire and Behaviors among UK Young Adults During Social Lockdown Due to COVID-19

This study examined self-reported changes in young adults’ sexual desire and behaviors during the most significant social restrictions imposed to deal with COVID-19. Drawing on a survey of 565 British adults aged 18–32 collected at the peak of social lockdown restrictions, we document an overall decrease in sexual behaviors consistent with abiding by social restrictions. We found that the levels of sexual desire reported by women (but not men) decreased compared with reports of pre-lockdown levels. Participants in serious relationships reported more increases in sexual activity than people who were single or dating casually, and there were significant differences according to gender and sexual orientation. The perceived impact of subjective wellbeing of people with high sociosexuality scores was disproportionately associated with social lockdown but there was no effect for general health. Thus, the impact on sexuality and general wellbeing should be considered by policymakers when considering future social restrictions related to COVID-19 or other public health emergencies