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The Relationship Between Eyewitness Confidence and Identification Accuracy: A New Synthesis
11 Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego.
Summary
Eyewitness confidence strongly predicts accuracy in suspect identifications, but only under optimal lineup conditions. High-confidence identifications are reliable when proper procedures are followed, aiding both innocent exonerations and guilty convictions.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Forensic Science
- Legal System
Background:
- Historically, eyewitness confidence was considered unreliable due to flawed police procedures.
- Over 30 years of research have refined eyewitness identification protocols.
- Current legal systems often underestimate eyewitness confidence's value.
Purpose of the Study:
- To re-evaluate the relationship between eyewitness confidence and identification accuracy.
- To assess confidence-accuracy under pristine, scientifically validated lineup conditions.
- To inform legal practices regarding eyewitness testimony.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of mock-crime studies and police field studies.
- Focus on initial, uncontaminated memory tests with fair lineups.
- Inclusion of immediate confidence statements and absence of administrator influence.
Main Results:
- Under pristine conditions, eyewitness confidence and accuracy are strongly correlated in adults.
- High-confidence suspect identifications are remarkably accurate.
- Accuracy is compromised under non-pristine conditions (e.g., unfair lineups).
Conclusions:
- Eyewitness confidence is a valuable indicator of accuracy under optimal lineup procedures.
- Proper procedures enhance the reliability of high-confidence identifications.
- Understanding this relationship aids in both convicting the guilty and exonerating the innocent.