DNA testing has confirmed what psychologists have known for 100 years: Innocent people are in prison (and guilty people at large) and faulty eyewitness identification is a primary contributor. Procedural safeguards now exist that can improve the reliability of eyewitness identification. The newest and potentially most influential such safeguard involves conducting lineups in a sequential (view lineup members one at a time) rather than simultaneous (view all lineup members at once) manner. The research in this grant includes an exploration of the factors that produce a sequential lineup advantage, specifically, using the process of recollection to remember a distinctive detail about the perpetrator. The grant work also includes the development of an explanation for how sequential lineups work. The goal is to enhance the reliability of eyewitness identification evidence through the proper conduct of lineups bolstered by a theoretical understanding of lineup decision processes. Eyewitness identification accuracy will never be perfect, but it can be improved, and if sequential lineups are part of the solution, understanding how they improve identification accuracy is essential.
