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Biased lineups and additional repetitions exacerbate the repeated-suspect effect
Adele Quigley-McBride1, Gary L Wells2
1Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University.
Journal of Experimental Psychology. Applied
|November 3, 2025
Summary
Presenting the same suspect in multiple lineups increases identification errors, a phenomenon known as the repeated-suspect effect. This effect is worsened by biased lineups and experimenter presence, posing risks to innocent individuals.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Forensic Science
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Eyewitness identification is crucial in legal proceedings.
- The repeated-suspect effect occurs when a suspect appears in multiple lineups with new fillers.
- This effect can lead to misidentifications of both guilty and innocent suspects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate factors exacerbating the repeated-suspect effect.
- To examine the roles of memory and social influence in eyewitness misidentification.
- To assess the impact of biased lineups and experimenter presence on identification accuracy.
Main Methods:
- Two in-person experiments were conducted with a total of 619 participants.
- Experiment 1 (N=316) tested the effect of a biased initial lineup.
- Experiment 2 (N=303) examined the impact of additional intervening lineups and experimenter presence.
Main Results:
- A biased initial lineup exacerbated the repeated-suspect effect in Experiment 1.
- Additional intervening lineups increased the risk to innocent suspects in Experiment 2.
- Experimenter presence influenced identification choices, particularly after a biased lineup, suggesting social influence.
Conclusions:
- Both memory and social influence mechanisms contribute to the repeated-suspect effect.
- Procedures that increase suspect salience, like biased lineups, significantly elevate risks for innocent individuals.
- Understanding these factors is critical for improving the reliability of eyewitness testimony.
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