Improving the reliability of eyewitness identification: Lineup construction and presentation

Abstract

The effects of system variables associated with lineup construction and presentation were examined in two experiments. In both experiments, subjects (university undergraduates) watched a videotaped reenactment of an armed robbery and later attempted to identify the robber from a lineup parade. In Experiment 1, lineup cues (e.g., voice, posture, and gait) and presentation mode (simulataneous vs. sequential) interacted ( p <.05) such that both improved the accuracy of lineup judgments, but their effects were not additive. In both Experiments 1 and 2, sequential presentation reduced the number of false identifications ( p <.05, for both). A combined probability analysis indicated that across the three experiments in which presentation mode was examined, the Presentation Mode × Presence of the Target in the Lineup interaction was significant ( p <.01), indicating that the beneficial effect of sequential presentation on false identifications was not offset by an equivalent loss in correct identifications. The manner in which these system variables could improve current police procedures is discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)