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Related Experiment Videos

Mugshot exposure effects: Retroactive interference, mugshot commitment, source confusion, and unconscious

Kenneth A Deffenbacher1, Brian H Bornstein, Steven D Penrod

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, Nebraska, USA. kdeffenbacher@mail.unomaha.edu

Law and Human Behavior
|June 3, 2006
PubMed
Summary

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Exposure to mugshots significantly reduces eyewitness accuracy and increases false alarms, especially when a suspect is identified from the mugshot. This highlights potential biases in eyewitness identification procedures.

Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Forensic Science
  • Cognitive Science

Background:

  • Eyewitness identification is crucial in criminal justice.
  • Mugshot exposure is a common investigative practice.
  • Potential biases from mugshot exposure require thorough investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To meta-analyze the effects of mugshot exposure on eyewitness accuracy.
  • To investigate the impact of mugshot exposure on false alarm rates.
  • To examine transference errors due to memory failures.

Main Methods:

  • Two meta-analyses synthesized data from 32 independent tests on mugshot exposure and accuracy.
  • A third meta-analysis examined 19 independent tests on transference errors.
  • Statistical analysis assessed the impact on proportion correct and false alarm rates.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Mugshot exposure significantly decreased proportion correct and increased false alarms.
  • The mugshot commitment effect substantially moderated these outcomes.
  • Transference errors were more pronounced with mugshot exposure than without.

Conclusions:

  • Prior mugshot exposure negatively impacts eyewitness identification accuracy.
  • The identification of a suspect in a mugshot is a key factor in bias.
  • Memory for facial source influences transference errors, exacerbated by mugshot exposure.