The Selection of Distractors and Eyewitness Identification Accuracy

近年来，社会法学学者对目击证人证据和鉴定领域的研究给予了极大的关注。尽管在从序列和照片传播进行科学识别方面取得了重大进展，但所有进展都是以一种形式取得的，即减少错误识别的可能性，而不对正确识别(命中)的可能性产生不利影响。选择干扰物以满足功能或有效大小的要求一直是降低错误识别率的主要工具。这个项目遵循了最近的一个理论论点，即根据选择分心对象的策略，两个相同功能或有效大小的阵容可能具有不同程度的有利(有益)异质性，结果是命中率截然不同。理论和试验数据证明，实施最大化嫌疑人和干扰物之间差异的方法可以提高命中率，从而使证人更有可能正确地识别嫌疑人。设计了三个实验来充分测试吉祥异构性的想法，以在不增加错误识别率的情况下提高命中率。这些实验遵循一种基本的形式，即对毫无戒心的证人进行犯罪，然后向他们展示一份名单，并要求他们指认罪魁祸首。比较的阵容包括被选择为(A)与嫌疑人相似，(B)与目击者对罪犯的描述相匹配，或(C)与描述相匹配加上最大有利差异的分心因素。将在每个实验中评估置信度-准确度关系，期望当吉利方差较大时，这种关系会更强。本研究对增进对目击证人辨认过程的基本认识具有一定的理论价值。从实践的角度来看，这种对列队程序动态的了解可以提高刑事案件司法的质量和效率。最后，在认知心理学领域，这项研究将阐明与识别记忆相关的理论问题。

Sociolegal scholars have devoted considerable attention to research in the area of eyewitness evidence and identification in recent years. Although significant advances have been made in the scientific identification from lineups and photospreads, all progress has been of one form, namely reducing the likelihood of false identification without affecting adversely the likelihood of correct identifications (hits). The selection of distracters so as to meet functional or effective-size requirements has been a major tool for reducing false identification rates. This project follows on the recent theoretical argument that, depending on the strategy used to select distracters, two lineups of equal functional or effective size can have different amounts of propitious (beneficial) heterogeneity with the result of having strikingly different hit rates. It is argued from theory and pilot data that implementing ways of maximizing the variance between the suspect and the distractors can improve the hit rates so that witnesses are more likely to correctly identify the suspect. Three experiments are designed to fully test the propitious heterogeneity idea for improving hit rates without inflating false identification rates. The experiments follow a basic format in which crimes are staged for unsuspecting witnesses who later are presented with a lineup and asked to identify the culprit. Comparisons are made between lineups that include distracters who were chosen to (a) resemble the suspect, (b) match the eyewitness's description of the culprit, or (c) match the description plus maximize the propitious variance. A confidence-accuracy relation will be assessed in each experiment with the expectation that the relation will be stronger when propitious variance is high. This research has theoretical value in advancing basic understanding of the process of eyewitness identification. From a practical standpoint, such knowledge about the dynamics of lineup procedures could lead to increased quality and efficiency by which justice is administered in criminal cases. Finally, in the area of cognitive psychology, the study will illuminate theoretical issues associated with recognition memory.