Key Research: Hall and Player

    Cards (12)

    • How are forensic psychologists trained?
      Formal courses using ACE-V methodology with extensive training with incomplete, smudged and distorted marks.
    • What was the research method?
      Naturalistic as participate in work time, in a typical fingerprint examination room in the New Scotland Yard Fingerprint Bureau with independent measures design.
    • What was the DV?
      either high or low emotional context
    • What were the DVs?
      Whether p read crime scene examination report prior to examining the fingerprint.
      Whether p thought print was a match, not a match or not enough detail to make comparison.
      Whether participant would be confident to present print as evidence at court.
    • Describe sample
      70 fingerprint experts from the Metropolitan Police Fingerprint Bureau volunteered. Their experience varied from less than three months to over 30 years.
    • Describe the procedure
      Volunteer gave good quality mark, scanned and super-imposed onto image of £50 note. The background of the note ensured to obscure majority of the ridge detail. 14 copies checked for consistencies. Finger mark and corresponding set of 10 fingerprint marks given to ps, donated by same volunteer. Every p allowed a fingerprint magnifying glass. Volunteer ps told to act as typical day but not discuss prints, no time limit. Done anonymously- given unique reference number. Given file with details, high or low context. Asked to assess if match or not or not enough detail.
    • What was the low context group (35 ps) story given?

      Forgery- suspect said to enter premises and tried to pay for goods with a forged £50 note, which was spotted by cashier.
    • What was high context group (35 ps) story?
      Forgery and use of firearm (victim in crime)- suspect tried to pay for goods with forged £50 note, noticed by cashier, then fired two shots at victim before decamping.
    • What is a drawback of using participant number ie confidentiality?
      Reduces motivation to be accurate/find match so doesn't reflect real life.
    • What were the findings?
      Only 57 out of 70 ps read crime scene report before examining prints. 52% of 30 who read high emotion context scenario felt affected vs 6% of low context. BUT no significant differences found between identifying print match.
    • What do the results suggest?
      High emotion context scenarios do affect people more than low context scenarios, but this does not have a significant effect on their ability to identify matches accurately.
      Fingerprint experts adept at dealing with fingerprint analysis in a non-emotional, detached manner.
      There may be motivating factors and bias in the collection and processing of forensic evidence.
    • What were the final identification results from high emotion and low emotion context?
      High- 6 ps identified
      Low- 7 ps identified