133537 - Pitfalls in using eyewitness confidence to diagnose the accuracy of an individual identification decision (Author version).pdf (660.68 kB)
Pitfalls in using eyewitness confidence to diagnose the accuracy of an individual identification decision
journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-20, 05:02 authored by James SauerJames Sauer, Matthew PalmerMatthew Palmer, Brewer, NRecently, a number of authors have made strong claims about the likely very high accuracy of identifications made with very high levels of confidence when identification testing conditions are pristine. We argue that although these strong claims about the confidence–accuracy relation are justifiable at the aggregate level, they may be misleading when attempting to evaluate the accuracy of an individual identification. First, we consider the recent evolution of conclusions drawn about the confidence–accuracy relationship, and the implications of these conclusions for the utility of confidence for evaluating individual identifications. Next, we highlight factors that may undermine the generalizability of conclusions at the aggregate level to individual cases. Finally, we present reanalyses of published data demonstrating conditions where conclusions based on aggregate data would be misleading for practitioners evaluating an individual identification. We maintain that, when appropriately collected, confidence can be a useful guide when assessing the reliability of identifications. However, we argue that when police and triers of fact attempt to evaluate the likely accuracy of an individual identification decision it will often be impossible to know if one of the key prerequisites for assessing whether a high confidence identification indicates an accurate identification - namely, a fair lineup - has been met.
History
Publication title
Psychology, Public Policy, and LawVolume
25Pagination
147-165ISSN
1076-8971Department/School
School of Psychological SciencesPublisher
American Psychological AssociationPlace of publication
750 First St Ne, Washington, USA, Dc, 20002-4242Rights statement
© 2019 American Psychological AssociationRepository Status
- Open