In the area of eyewitness identification, few studies compare showups (one-person identifications), simultaneous lineups (all lineup members viewed simultaneously), and sequential lineups (lineup members viewed one at a time) to determine which is most accurate. The current research involves a series of experiments in which participants will first watch a staged video of multiple perpetrators breaking into a storage unit and then complete a showup, sequential lineup, and simultaneous lineup, each involving a different suspect. Finally, participants will indicate their confidence in their decision and complete additional questions about the manipulation and witnessing experience. The current research has three objectives: to compare identification accuracy between showups and lineups within a single set of studies; to develop techniques that improve eyewitness identification; and to promote a better understanding of the underlying memory and decision-making processes that occur in showup and lineup identifications using formal computational models.
The research focuses on improving eyewitness identification in showups and reducing the fallibility of eyewitness evidence leading to the wrongful conviction of the innocent.
