PC Eyewitness and the Sequential Superiority Effect: Computer-Based Lineup Administration

MacLin, O. H., Zimmerman, L. A., & Malpass, R. S. (2005). PC_Eyewitness and the sequential superiority effect: Computer-based lineup administration. Law and Human Behavior, 29, 303-321.

The effectiveness of PC_Eyewitness, which is a computer program that can be used to administer lineups, was compared to paper-and-pencil administration of lineups. This program has a variety of applications that can be useful to police departments.  Also, the results of these studies were being compared to other findings regarding simultaneous and sequential lineups, specifically the Steblay et al., 2001 meta-analysis. The first experiment was conducted with paper and pencil, whereas the second experiment was conducted with PC_Eyewitness.  In both experiments, participants viewed a simulated crime video, completed a filler task, and then viewed a simultaneous or sequential lineup. The first experiment found no differences between correct identifications between simultaneous and sequential lineups in target-present lineups. Also, the sequential lineup did not have an advantage for correct rejections. These findings partially replicated the findings of the Steblay et al., 2001 meta-analysis.

In the second experiment with PC_Eyewitness, the sequential lineup had more correct rejections, but there were no differences between correct identifications in the lineups. Choosing rates were also higher with simultaneous lineups. It was found that PC_Eyewitness was not different from the paper-and-pencil lineup administration. Also, the results of both of the experiments were compared to the earlier Steblay et al., 2001 meta-analysis. Some differences were observed, but the main findings were similar to the pattern of the results of the meta-analysis. One of the differences was that in the meta-analysis, simultaneous lineups produced more correct identifications, which did not occur in these experiments.

A discussion of the usefulness and advantages of PC_Eyewitness for police departments was also included. PC_Eyewitness can be modified to suit a department's particular needs, and it also can offer blind administration of lineups. The authors also discuss the differences between simultaneous and sequential lineups, and the idea that participants are more willing to make identifications in lineups, which may be an area for further research.