Examining the relation between eyewitness recall and recognition for children and adults

Abstract

Across two studies, participants watched a videotaped, staged theft and then provided free-recall descriptions of the perpetrator and crime. Recognition was tested using a simultaneous lineup task. In both studies, children recalled fewer crime and perpetrator details than adults. However, children were not less accurate in their recall compared to adults. Across both studies, no evidence was present that witnesses who made accurate lineup identification decisions recalled more information than witnesses who made inaccurate identification decisions. Also, there was no evidence that witnesses who made accurate identification decisions were more likely to be accurate in their recall than witnesses who made inaccurate identification decisions.

Keywords:

• eyewitness identification
• eyewitness recall
• face recognition
• memory
• photo lineups

Notes

1. Target-absent data from Study 1 and Study 2 were combined and a chi-square analysis was performed comparing correct rejection rates for children and adults. There was no significant difference in correct rejection rates between children and adults (0.39 vs. 0.52 respectively), χ² (1, n =124) = 1.99, p=0.16.