Citation

Brewer N. Leg. Crim. Psychol. 2006; 11(1): 3-23.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2006, British Psychological Society, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1348/135532505X79672

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

When attempting to identify an offender whom they saw commit a crime, eyewitnesses are frequently asked to indicate their confidence in their memories. Confidence judgments may be expressed prior to seeing a line-up, after making an identification decision or in the courtroom. Such judgments can exert an important influence on decision making within the criminal justice system. Here, I examine theory and evidence that bear on the likely usefulness of such confidence judgments for diagnosing the accuracy of the associated identification. Contrary to often expressed views, I argue that confidence recorded immediately after the identification test is informative about the identity of the offender. Confidence expressions obtained at other times are likely to be misleading. Important directions for future confidence research are identified.

Language: en