Eyewitness metamemory predicts identification performance in biased and unbiased line-ups

PURPOSE-Distinguishing accurate from inaccurate identifications is a challenging issue in the criminal justice system, especially for biased police line-ups. That is because biased line-ups undermine the diagnostic value of accuracy post-dictors such as confidence and decision time. Here, we aimed t...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Saraiva, Renan Benigno (Author)
Contributors: Boeijen, Inger van ; Hope, Lorraine ; Horselenberg, Robert ; Sauerland, Melanie ; Koppen, Peter J. van
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Published: 2020
In: Legal and criminological psychology
Year: 2020, Volume: 25, Issue: 2, Pages: 111-132
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Rights Information:CC BY 4.0
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Keywords:
Eyewitness testimony
Memory
line-up identification
metamemory
Description
Summary:PURPOSE-Distinguishing accurate from inaccurate identifications is a challenging issue in the criminal justice system, especially for biased police line-ups. That is because biased line-ups undermine the diagnostic value of accuracy post-dictors such as confidence and decision time. Here, we aimed to test general and eyewitness-specific self-ratings of memory capacity as potential estimators of identification performance that are unaffected by line-up bias.METHODS-Participants (N = 744) completed a metamemory assessment consisting of the Multifactorial Metamemory Questionnaire and the Eyewitness Metamemory Scale and took part in a standard eyewitness paradigm. Following the presentation of a mock-crime video, they viewed either biased or unbiased line-ups.RESULTS-Self-ratings of discontentment with eyewitness memory ability were indicative of identification accuracy for both biased and unbiased line-ups. Participants who scored low on eyewitness metamemory factors also displayed a stronger confidence–accuracy calibration than those who scored high.CONCLUSIONS-These results suggest a promising role for self-ratings of memory capacity in the evaluation of eyewitness identifications, while also advancing theory on self-assessments for different memory systems.
Item Description:Literaturverzeichnis: Seite 128-132
gesehen am 20.01.2023
First published: 3 February 2020
ISSN:2044-8333
DOI:10.1111/lcrp.12166