Face Recognition Ability and Eyewitness Identification
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Psychology and Special Education
Date of Award
8-14-2024
Abstract
Eyewitness identification (ID) is a crucial factor in our justice system. There has been a copious amount of research done to improve the ID process. The Innocence Project (2023) lists hundreds of exonerated individuals who were wrongfully convicted due largely to misidentification. I used the Cambridge Face Memory Test (CFMT) for this thesis to determine if general facial recognition ability could be a predictor of eyewitness ID accuracy. I also manipulated encoding time to determine whether or not it interacts with this relationship. There is very little research applying tests of face recognition ability to eyewitness ID performance. Further, I investigated eyewitness ID performance from three different ID procedures: showups, biased lineups, and fair lineups. The overall goal of this study was to determine if the CFMT could be used as a predictive tool for eyewitness ID performance. If so, the CFMT is a simple test law enforcement can use to determine if a potential eyewitness would be reliable or not. If someone is generally a weak facial recognizer, they would most likely be a weak eyewitness. Eliminating weak eyewitnesses can be crucial in reducing the number of wrongful convictions that happen every year.
Advisor
Curt Carlson
Subject Categories
Psychology | Social and Behavioral Sciences
Recommended Citation
Malone, Baylee Nicole, "Face Recognition Ability and Eyewitness Identification" (2024). Electronic Theses & Dissertations. 1221.
https://digitalcommons.tamuc.edu/etd/1221
