Under pressure: how stress and bias skew eyewitness memory

Abstract

Examining eyewitness identification is vital because it significantly influences wrongful convictions. The accuracy of eyewitness memory is highly vulnerable to distortions influenced by factors such as stress and biases. Specifically, explicit racial bias among White observers predicts false identifications of Black faces. However, research shows mixed effects of implicit racial bias, especially in stressful conditions. This study explored how stress interacts with implicit racial bias to exacerbate the cross-race effect in eyewitness lineup identifications. Participants (N = 80) completed the Race IAT and Symbolic Racism Scale to assess implicit and explicit biases and viewed a crime video (under control, low, or high stress conditions). Participants then chose a suspect (or not) from a lineup of White or Black faces and rated their confidence regarding their selections. Eyewitness identification accuracy was analyzed using binary logistic regression with implicit racial bias, stress, and target race as predictors. The results did not support the hypothesis, and there were no significant interactions regarding eyewitness identification accuracy. However, a significant main effect of bias for confidence was found. These results contribute to the ongoing eyewitness memory literature and demonstrate the importance of continued research into the potential roles of individual and situational factors in influencing eyewitnesses' accuracy and confidence.