Most people are familiar with the concept of a police lineup (either in person or with photographs) from watching movies and television programs

Fewer people realize that the standard format of a lineup leads witnesses to occasionally identify innocent people as criminals, and even form false memories of them committing the crime. Describe four ways researchers have suggested police should change the lineup to avoid these problems and improve its accuracy.

What will be an ideal response?

Answer: A good answer will include four of the following key points.
? Double-blind procedure—the investigator who interviews the witness should not know which member of the lineup is the actual suspect. This would prevent them from intentionally or accidentally influencing the witness.
? Instruction—the investigator should instruct the witness that the suspect may not be in the lineup. This reduces the probability that the witness will simply pick the individual that most closely resembles the person they saw committing the crime.
? Lineup composition—the lineup should include individuals that match the witness's description of the suspect.
? Sequential lineups—when an entire lineup is shown simultaneously, the witness may assume one of the people is guilty and settle on the best candidate. If the persons in the lineup are presented one at a time, witnesses are less likely to pick out an incorrect suspect because they are willing to consider the next person in the sequence.
? Confidence statements—eyewitness confidence can change as a result of an investigator's response, or simply by seeing the same suspect in multiple lineups, neither of which make the testimony any more accurate. Therefore, confidence statements should be taken in the witness's own words after an identification is made.
? Recordings—recording the procedures can help evaluate the reliability of testimony.