The impact of external facial features on the construction of facial composites

Authors: Brown, C., Portch, E., Skelton, F.C., Fodarella, C., Kuivaniemi-Smith, H., Herold, K., Hancock, P.J.B. and Frowd, C.D.

Journal: Ergonomics

Volume: 62

Issue: 4

Pages: 575-592

eISSN: 1366-5847

ISSN: 0014-0139

DOI: 10.1080/00140139.2018.1556816

Abstract:

Witnesses may construct a composite face of a perpetrator using a computerised interface. Police practitioners guide witnesses through this unusual process, the goal being to produce an identifiable image. However, any changes a perpetrator makes to their external facial-features may interfere with this process. In Experiment 1, participants constructed a composite using a holistic interface one day after target encoding. Target faces were unaltered, or had altered external-features: (i) changed hair, (ii) external-features removed or (iii) naturally-concealed external-features (hair, ears, face-shape occluded by a hooded top). These manipulations produced composites with more error-prone internal-features: participants’ familiar with a target’s unaltered appearance less often provided a correct name. Experiment 2 applied external-feature alterations to composites of unaltered targets; although whole-face composites contained less error-prone internal-features, identification was impaired. Experiment 3 replicated negative effects of changing target hair on construction and tested a practical solution: selectively concealing hair and eyes improved identification. Practitioner Summary: The research indicates that when a target identity disguises or changes hair, this can lead to a witness (or victim) constructing a composite that is less readily identified. We assess a practical method to overcome this forensic issue. Abbreviation: GEE: Generalized Estimating Equations.

https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/31719/

Source: Scopus

The impact of external facial features on the construction of facial composites.

Authors: Brown, C., Portch, E., Skelton, F.C., Fodarella, C., Kuivaniemi-Smith, H., Herold, K., Hancock, P.J.B. and Frowd, C.D.

Journal: Ergonomics

Volume: 62

Issue: 4

Pages: 575-592

eISSN: 1366-5847

DOI: 10.1080/00140139.2018.1556816

Abstract:

Witnesses may construct a composite face of a perpetrator using a computerised interface. Police practitioners guide witnesses through this unusual process, the goal being to produce an identifiable image. However, any changes a perpetrator makes to their external facial-features may interfere with this process. In Experiment 1, participants constructed a composite using a holistic interface one day after target encoding. Target faces were unaltered, or had altered external-features: (i) changed hair, (ii) external-features removed or (iii) naturally-concealed external-features (hair, ears, face-shape occluded by a hooded top). These manipulations produced composites with more error-prone internal-features: participants' familiar with a target's unaltered appearance less often provided a correct name. Experiment 2 applied external-feature alterations to composites of unaltered targets; although whole-face composites contained less error-prone internal-features, identification was impaired. Experiment 3 replicated negative effects of changing target hair on construction and tested a practical solution: selectively concealing hair and eyes improved identification. Practitioner Summary: The research indicates that when a target identity disguises or changes hair, this can lead to a witness (or victim) constructing a composite that is less readily identified. We assess a practical method to overcome this forensic issue. Abbreviation: GEE: Generalized Estimating Equations.

https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/31719/

Source: PubMed

The impact of external facial features on the construction of facial composites

Authors: Brown, C., Portch, E., Skelto, F.C., Fodarella, C., Kuivaniemi-Smith, H., Herold, K., Hancock, P.J.B. and Frowd, C.D.

Journal: ERGONOMICS

Volume: 62

Issue: 4

Pages: 575-592

eISSN: 1366-5847

ISSN: 0014-0139

DOI: 10.1080/00140139.2018.1556816

https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/31719/

Source: Web of Science (Lite)

The impact of external facial features on the construction of facial composites

Authors: Brown, C., Portch, E., Skelton, F., Fodarella, C., Kuivaniemi-Smith, H., Herold, K., Hancock, P.J.B. and Frowd, C.D.

Journal: Ergonomics

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

ISSN: 0014-0139

DOI: 10.1080/00140139.2018.1556816

https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/31719/

Source: Manual

The impact of external facial features on the construction of facial composites.

Authors: Brown, C., Portch, E., Skelton, F.C., Fodarella, C., Kuivaniemi-Smith, H., Herold, K., Hancock, P.J.B. and Frowd, C.D.

Journal: Ergonomics

Volume: 62

Issue: 4

Pages: 575-592

eISSN: 1366-5847

ISSN: 0014-0139

DOI: 10.1080/00140139.2018.1556816

Abstract:

Witnesses may construct a composite face of a perpetrator using a computerised interface. Police practitioners guide witnesses through this unusual process, the goal being to produce an identifiable image. However, any changes a perpetrator makes to their external facial-features may interfere with this process. In Experiment 1, participants constructed a composite using a holistic interface one day after target encoding. Target faces were unaltered, or had altered external-features: (i) changed hair, (ii) external-features removed or (iii) naturally-concealed external-features (hair, ears, face-shape occluded by a hooded top). These manipulations produced composites with more error-prone internal-features: participants' familiar with a target's unaltered appearance less often provided a correct name. Experiment 2 applied external-feature alterations to composites of unaltered targets; although whole-face composites contained less error-prone internal-features, identification was impaired. Experiment 3 replicated negative effects of changing target hair on construction and tested a practical solution: selectively concealing hair and eyes improved identification. Practitioner Summary: The research indicates that when a target identity disguises or changes hair, this can lead to a witness (or victim) constructing a composite that is less readily identified. We assess a practical method to overcome this forensic issue. Abbreviation: GEE: Generalized Estimating Equations.

https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/31719/

Source: Europe PubMed Central

The impact of external facial features on the construction of facial composites

Authors: Brown, C., Portch, E., Skelton, F., Fodarella, C., Kuivaniemi-Smith, H., Herold, K., Hancock, P.J.B. and Frowd, C.D.

Journal: Ergonomics

Volume: 62

Issue: 4

Pages: 575-592

ISSN: 0014-0139

Abstract:

Witnesses may construct a composite face of a perpetrator using a computerised interface. Police practitioners guide witnesses through this unusual process, the goal being to produce an identifiable image. However, any changes a perpetrator makes to their external facial-features may interfere with this process. In Experiment 1, participants constructed a composite using a holistic interface one day after target encoding. Target faces were unaltered, or had altered external-features: (i) changed hair, (ii) external-features removed or (iii) naturally-concealed external-features (hair, ears, face-shape occluded by a hooded top). These manipulations produced composites with more error-prone internal-features: participants’ familiar with a target’s unaltered appearance less often provided a correct name. Experiment 2 applied external-feature alterations to composites of unaltered targets; although whole-face composites contained less error-prone internal-features, identification was impaired. Experiment 3 replicated negative effects of changing target hair on construction and tested a practical solution: selectively concealing hair and eyes improved identification.

https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/31719/

Source: BURO EPrints