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

Renan Benigno Saraiva; Inger van Boeijen; Lorraine Hope; Robert Horselenberg; Melanie Sauerland; Peter J. van Koppen

doi:10.1111/lcrp.12166

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

Renan Benigno Saraiva^*, Inger van Boeijen, Lorraine Hope, Robert Horselenberg, Melanie Sauerland, Peter J. van Koppen

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

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.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	111-132
Number of pages	22
Journal	Legal and Criminological Psychology
Volume	25
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/lcrp.12166
Publication status	Published - Sept 2020

Keywords

eyewitness testimony
metamemory
memory
line-up identification
CONFIDENCE-ACCURACY RELATIONSHIP
DECISION-TIME
MEMORY
ABILITY
POSTDICTORS
EXPERIENCE
BELIEFS
PEOPLE
ERRORS
SKILL

Access to Document

10.1111/lcrp.12166Licence: CC BY-NC

Cite this

@article{fecf203a05714de59f2fb46a92d3ee2e,

title = "Eyewitness metamemory predicts identification performance in biased and unbiased line-ups",

abstract = "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.",

keywords = "eyewitness testimony, metamemory, memory, line-up identification, CONFIDENCE-ACCURACY RELATIONSHIP, DECISION-TIME, MEMORY, ABILITY, POSTDICTORS, EXPERIENCE, BELIEFS, PEOPLE, ERRORS, SKILL",

author = "Saraiva, {Renan Benigno} and {van Boeijen}, Inger and Lorraine Hope and Robert Horselenberg and Melanie Sauerland and {van Koppen}, {Peter J.}",

note = "Funding Information: This research was supported by a fellowship award from the Erasmus Mundus Joint Doctorate Program The House of Legal Psychology (EMJD‐LP) with Framework Partnership Agreement (FPA) 2013‐0036 and Specific Grant Agreement (SGA) 2013‐0036. Funding Information: This research was supported by a fellowship award from the Erasmus Mundus Joint Doctorate Program The House of Legal Psychology (EMJD-LP) with Framework Partnership Agreement (FPA) 2013-0036 and Specific Grant Agreement (SGA) 2013-0036. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2020 The Authors. Legal and Criminological Psychology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Psychological Society",

year = "2020",

month = sep,

doi = "10.1111/lcrp.12166",

language = "English",

volume = "25",

pages = "111--132",

journal = "Legal and Criminological Psychology",

issn = "1355-3259",

publisher = "Wiley",

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T1 - Eyewitness metamemory predicts identification performance in biased and unbiased line-ups

AU - Saraiva, Renan Benigno

AU - van Boeijen, Inger

AU - Hope, Lorraine

AU - Horselenberg, Robert

AU - Sauerland, Melanie

AU - van Koppen, Peter J.

N1 - Funding Information: This research was supported by a fellowship award from the Erasmus Mundus Joint Doctorate Program The House of Legal Psychology (EMJD‐LP) with Framework Partnership Agreement (FPA) 2013‐0036 and Specific Grant Agreement (SGA) 2013‐0036. Funding Information: This research was supported by a fellowship award from the Erasmus Mundus Joint Doctorate Program The House of Legal Psychology (EMJD-LP) with Framework Partnership Agreement (FPA) 2013-0036 and Specific Grant Agreement (SGA) 2013-0036. Publisher Copyright: © 2020 The Authors. Legal and Criminological Psychology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Psychological Society

PY - 2020/9

Y1 - 2020/9

N2 - 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.

AB - 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.

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KW - line-up identification

KW - CONFIDENCE-ACCURACY RELATIONSHIP

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KW - ABILITY

KW - POSTDICTORS

KW - EXPERIENCE

KW - BELIEFS

KW - PEOPLE

KW - ERRORS

KW - SKILL

U2 - 10.1111/lcrp.12166

DO - 10.1111/lcrp.12166

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