Gender-bias and its influence on the accuracy of eyewitness identification of perpetrators
type: CreativeWork
description: "Previous research has looked at how eyewitnesses can identify characteristically with victims of crimes, but few have looked at how eyewitnesses identify with the perpetrators in any capacity (Block, Greenberg, & Goodman, 2009). More specifically, few have looked at how gender-bias influences eyewitness identification of the perpetrator and characteristics (Butts, Mixon, Mulekar , & Bringmann, 1995; Wright & Sladden, 2003). The purpose of the current research was to look directly at how gender influenced the accuracy of eyewitness identification of a perpetrator. It was hypothesized that women would remember more details about a female perpetrator than a male perpetrator, and conversely, males would remember more details about a male perpetrator than a female perpetrator. It was also hypothesized that females would be overall more accurate than male participants. Participants were 165 college students volunteering in exchange for research credit. Participants observed a staged crime via recording while engaging in a monitoring task and completed measures of intelligence, demographic information, and trauma history as well as identifying information for perpetrators. Results were non- significant as to whether or not females are more accurate or have better recall of details but the results do have impact for future research; particularly in how vigilance can impact the accuracy of detailed recall"--Leaf iv.
abstract: "Previous research has looked at how eyewitnesses can identify characteristically with victims of crimes, but few have looked at how eyewitnesses identify with the perpetrators in any capacity (Block, Greenberg, & Goodman, 2009). More specifically, few have looked at how gender-bias influences eyewitness identification of the perpetrator and characteristics (Butts, Mixon, Mulekar , & Bringmann, 1995; Wright & Sladden, 2003). The purpose of the current research was to look directly at how gender influenced the accuracy of eyewitness identification of a perpetrator. It was hypothesized that women would remember more details about a female perpetrator than a male perpetrator, and conversely, males would remember more details about a male perpetrator than a female perpetrator. It was also hypothesized that females would be overall more accurate than male participants. Participants were 165 college students volunteering in exchange for research credit. Participants observed a staged crime via recording while engaging in a monitoring task and completed measures of intelligence, demographic information, and trauma history as well as identifying information for perpetrators. Results were non- significant as to whether or not females are more accurate or have better recall of details but the results do have impact for future research; particularly in how vigilance can impact the accuracy of detailed recall"--Leaf iv.
author: Conkey, Elizabeth K.
keywords: Witnesses--Psychology, Eyewitness identification--Psychological aspects, Recollection (Psychology), Gender identity, College students--Northwest, Pacific--Psychology, Psychology
date published: 2015-01-01T08:00:00Z
date modified: 2026-07-24T02:13:29Z
provider: Eastern Washington University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Eastern Washington University