"Looking Like a Criminal" Means You Are More Likely To Be Selected In An Identity Parade |
| News - Memory |
| Wednesday, 24 June 2009 09:06 |
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According to a new study presented today by Heather Flow and her colleagues at the British Psychological Society Division of Forensic Psychology Annual Conference, just looking like a criminal could meant that you are more likely to be picked out in an identity parade. A stereotypically criminal appearance is described as someone who looks like they would break the law - a face you wouldn’t trust. This research investigated whether eye-witnesses were influenced by stereotypical criminal faces when faced with an identity parade.
Interestingly 52 per cent of those with a description also stated they were influenced by the suspect’s criminal appearance. Heather explained: ‘Criminal stereotypes can affect decisions made by actual witnesses, in particular, weak witnesses who do not have strong memories for the perpetrator. In this experiment the participants who didn’t have a description fell on stereotyped conceptions of what a perpetrator ought to look like. This could have serious implications if police, either consciously or inadvertently, build an identity parade in which the suspect is the most criminal looking. A weak witness who felt compelled to pick somebody may pick the suspect simply because he's the most criminal looking person, not because he matches their memory’ Source: British Psychological Society (Press Release)
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