Abstract
Performance at identification lineup was assessed in eighty-five 6- to 11-year-old typically developing children. Children viewed a live staged event involving 2 male actors, and were asked to identify the perpetrators from 2 separate lineups (one perpetrator-present lineup and one perpetrator-absent lineup). Half the children took part in lineups adapted by a registered intermediary (an impartial, trained professional who facilitates understanding and communication between vulnerable witnesses and members of the justice system), and half took part in “best-practice” lineups, according to the current guidance for eyewitness identification in England and Wales. Children receiving assistance from a registered intermediary (relative to children who received best-practice lineups) were more accurate in their identifications for perpetrator-present lineups, and there was some evidence that they were also more accurate for perpetrator-absent lineups. This provides the first empirical evidence for the effectiveness of registered intermediary support during identification lineups.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 367-375 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Applied Cognitive Psychology |
| Volume | 32 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2 Apr 2018 |
Keywords
- Child witnesses
- registered intermediaries
- perpetrator lineups
- identification
- intermediaries
- child witnesses
- 2020