Presentation time: Tuesday, 16 June, 2015 - 15:35

Research investigating how accurate witnesses are at making identifications from lineups, use two types of lineups. Target present lineups are where a previously seen culprit is placed it the lineup to see if the witness can accurately identify them. Whilst a target absent lineup replaces the seen culprit with someone of a similar appearance, and is used to simulate the situation that the police have arrested the wrong person, and the aim is to see if a witness still chooses someone from the lineup. Some groups of witnesses, such as older adults and children, are more likely to choose someone and therefore make a false identification from a target absent lineup, as compared to younger adults. A new method called ‘the mystery man’ placed a silhouette in the lineup, offering an alternative choice for witnesses who did not recognise anyone, but felt they should choose someone. Two studies were conducted, and they found that using the mystery man could reduce false identifications for target absent lineups for both children and older adults (over 60 years), without reducing correct identifications for target present lineups. These findings suggest the ‘mystery man’ technique may be beneficial for children and older adults, and increase the reliability of eyewitness evidence.

Catriona Havard

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