An Experimental Test of Four Methods of Showing Photo Spreads to Witnesses During Robbery Investigations

• In Event: Eyewitness Identification Procedures: Theory, Reform, Effects, and Findings from a Randomized Field Experiment

Abstract

Research evidence that has accumulated since the late 1980’s implies that police procedural reforms can reduce eyewitness identification errors. This line of research is significant because eyewitness identification errors play an important role in wrongful convictions. This paper reports evidence from one of the few studies that has measured the results of different photo spread administration procedures using data from police investigations. The study was conducted in collaboration with the Houston Police Department’s Robbery Division. The experiment compared four procedures for showing photo spreads that were created with on combinations of two variables: 1) methods of minimizing the influence that investigators can have when witnesses view photo spreads and 2) methods of displaying photos to witnesses (simultaneously or sequentially). Policy implications and directions for future research are discussed.

Author

• William (Bill) Wells, Sam Houston State University