Investigative & Courtroom

Another expert area covered by key members of the FCRG concerns understanding bias, decision-making, investigative processes, and suchlike within courtroom and investigation settings. The areas include the biases that can affect witness testimonies, leading questions, line-up decisions, and ear-witness testimonies.

Recent published studies in this area include:

• Kramer, R. S., Gous, G., Mireku, M. O., & Ward, R. (2022). Metacognition during unfamiliar face matching. British Journal of Psychology, 113(3), 696-717.

• Kramer, R. S., Jones, A. L., & Gous, G. (2021). Individual differences in face and voice matching abilities: The relationship between accuracy and consistency. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 35(1), 192-202.

• Gous, G., & Wheatcroft, J. M. (2020). Directive leading questions and preparation technique effects on witness accuracy. Sage Open, 10(1), 2158244019899053 – Open Access

• Kramer, R. S., & Gous, G. (2020). Eyewitness descriptions without memory: The (f) utility of describing faces. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 34(3), 605-615.

Recent poster presentations related this area include:    

To replicate or conceal? Creating fairer lineups for multiple suspects with dissimilar distinctive features (Harris & Onwuegbusi, 2022)