Individual differences in face identification postdict eyewitness accuracy

Eyewitnesses frequently mistake innocent suspects for the culprits of an observed crime, and such misidentifications have caused the wrongful convictions of many innocent people. This study attempted to establish the accuracy of individual eyewitnesses by assessing their ability to process unfamiliar faces. Observers viewed a staged crime and later tried to select the culprit from an identity lineup. This was followed by a face test that provides a laboratory analogue to lineup identifications. We found that this face test could determine the reliability of individual witnesses when a positive eyewitness identification had been made. Importantly, this was possible based on the specific response that a witness had made and without prior knowledge of whether the culprit was actually present in the lineup. These findings demonstrate that individual differences in face processing provide a potential instrument for postdicting eyewitness accuracy and for preventing miscarriages of justice.

► In identity lineups, eyewitnesses frequently mistake innocent suspects for the culprit of an observed crime.
► A complete method for distinguishing accurate from inaccurate eyewitness identifications remains elusive.
► This study investigated face identification ability as an index of eyewitness accuracy.
► Accurate observers in a laboratory test of face identification were also more likely to identify the culprit from a staged crime.
► These findings indicate that a person's ability to identify faces is a useful postdictor of eyewitness accuracy.