Investigating investigators: How presentation order influences participant–investigators’ interpretations of eyewitness identification and alibi evidence.

Abstract

Presentation order of ID and Alibi evidence was manipulated for undergraduate participants who conducted a simulated police investigation. Experiment 1 found a recency effect when an eyewitness rejected the investigator's suspect. Experiment 2 also examined order effects, exploring how participant-investigators evaluated alibi information in addition to eyewitness ID information. When investigators saw the witness identify the suspect but also received a strong alibi for that suspect a recency effect occurred, such that whichever piece of information occurred at the end of the procedure had the strongest impact on investigators. Thus, type of evidence and evidence order both had a dramatic influence on participant-investigators' decisions.

Post‐identification feedback effects: Investigators and evaluators

“…The current research provides additional evidence of bias driven by investigative tunnel vision (Findley & Scott, 2006;Meissner & Kassin, 2004) and contributes to the groundswell of literature exploring witness evidence and investigator decision making (e.g. Boyce et al, 2008;Dahl et al, 2006Dahl et al, , 2009Lindsay, Nilsen, & Read, 2000). We raise the caution that the magnitude of investigator influence observed in our research may be greater in the real world where police officers bring the power of their authoritative position to the context of the investigative interview.…”

“…eye contact) leading witnesses to be more confident in reporting their crime memories. Investigator opinion of witness credibility undeniably has important implications, for instance, directing other aspects of the investigation, determining if eyewitness evidence is introduced in court ( Boyce et al, 2008), and assessment of other types of evidence, such as a suspect's alibi (Dahl, Brimacombe, & Lindsay, 2009).…”

A Likely Story? The Influence of Type of Alibi and Defendant Gender on Juror Decision-Making

“…This research suggests that participants' perceptions of an alibi may be influenced by the relationship between the defendant and the alibi witness (Culhane & Hosch, 2004), the context of the evaluation (police investigation vs. criminal trial vs. unspecified; Sommers & Douglass, 2007), defendant race (Sargent & Bradfield, 2004), corroboration of the alibi (Culhane & Hosch, 2004;Olson & Wells, 2004;Sommers & Douglass, 2007), ease of fabrication (Olson & Wells, 2004) and order of evidence presentation (Dahl, Brimacombe, & Lindsay, 2009).…”

Witness Vetting: What Determines Detectives' Perceptions of Witness Credibility?

“…Current evidence suggests that investigations can be influenced by affective elements of a case, time pressure, and context that can foster detective confirmation bias (Ask, Rebelius, & Granhag, ; Ask & Granhag, , ; Bollingmo, Wessel, Eilersten, & Magnussen, ; O'Brien, ). Investigators have preconceived ideas about the amount and type of evidence that is important to a given case (Dahl, Lindsay, & Brimacombe, ), and the order in which detectives receive witness and alibi information influences detectives' decisions (Dahl, Brimacombe, & Lindsay, ), but it is unclear how these factors influence witness vetting.…”