Not all eyewitnesses are equal: Accent status, race and age interact to influence evaluations of testimony

Abstract

Extralegal factors such as accent status, race and age may affect how someone is perceived in courtrooms. Even eyewitnesses who are not on trial may be rated less favorably as a result of such features. The current study measured accent status, race and age with 254 participants listening to oral witness statements. Results indicate eyewitnesses with higher-status accents were rated more favorably than those with lower-status accents and younger black eyewitnesses were rated higher than older black witnesses. White eyewitnesses were more favorably rated than black witnesses although this was qualified by results suggesting anti-norm deviance. The findings provide the criminal justice system with reasons to question how interactions among witness characteristics and with observer characteristics may influence court decisions.

Keywords:

• Accent status
• age
• eyewitness
• race

Acknowledgment

The authors acknowledge the assistance of Joyann Boyce and Henry Akaluka in data collection.

Disclosure statement

We have no known conflict of interest to disclose.

Notes on Contributors

Lara A Frumkin is a senior lecturer in psychology at the Open University in the UK. Her research is in social and community psychology, focused on how witnesses are perceived based on extralegal factors. School of Psychology and Counselling, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA, UK.

Anna Stone is a senior lecturer in psychology at the University of East London in the UK. She has a research interest in person perception, especially factors that can lead to prejudice and stigmatization. School of Psychology and Counselling, University of East London, Water Lane, Stratford, London, E15 4LZ, UK.