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Identification of computer-generated facial composites
M B Kovera1, S D Penrod, C Pappas
1Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami 33181, USA. koveram@fiu.edu
The Journal of Applied Psychology
|April 1, 1997
Summary
Computerized facial composites from memory were ineffective. Even familiar viewers could not recognize individuals from these composites, questioning their use in criminal investigations.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Forensic Science
Background:
- Facial composites are used to identify suspects.
- Computerized systems aim to improve composite accuracy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of the Mac-a-Mug Pro facial composite system.
- To determine if facial composites aid recognition in identification tasks.
Main Methods:
- Study 1: Participants created composites from memory; recognition was tested with known/unknown individuals.
- Study 2: Witnesses attempted to identify targets from photo lineups containing composites.
Main Results:
- Composites were not recognized by viewers, even when the depicted individuals were known.
- Composite quality and familiarity did not predict recognition accuracy.
- Witnesses failed to identify targets from composite-based photo lineups.
Conclusions:
- The Mac-a-Mug Pro system showed limited effectiveness in producing recognizable facial composites.
- The findings raise concerns about the utility of such systems in real-world forensic applications.