Creating a Cross-Race Effect Inventory to Postdict Eyewitness Accuracy

Abstract

Objective: The Cross-Race Effect (CRE) is a reliable and robust phenomenon, whereby individuals better recognize faces that belong to their race compared to another race. Our goal was to develop a self-report Inventory (i.e., CRE-I) that brings together known predictors of the CRE to improve postdiction of cross-race eyewitness accuracy. Hypotheses: We expected a CRE for White and Asian participants. We anticipated that developed CRE-I subscales would correlate positively with extant (some modified) scales and predict accuracy. Method: Participants completed four trials (two White targets and two Asian targets). For each trial, they watched a mock crime video, performed a distractor task, made a sequential lineup decision (target-present or target-absent), and indicated confidence in their lineup decision. After all trials, participants completed the potential items for the CRE-I. Results: We replicated prior findings of a CRE for White participants but did not find a CRE for Asian participants. Exploratory factor analysis produced an inventory (the CRE-I) with reliable scales for White eyewitnesses: general face recognition ability, race-specific face recognition ability, racial attitudes, quantity of contact, quality of contact, motivated individuation, and cognitive disregard. Responses to several scales predicted identification accuracy. In particular, three scales of the CRE-I predicted identification accuracy beyond the predictiveness of confidence: race-specific face recognition ability, racial attitudes towards White people, and motivated individuation of White people. Conclusions: Variables suggested separately by the perceptual expertise hypothesis and the social cognitive hypothesis predicted identification accuracy, providing support for integrative models of the CRE. The CRE-I contributes to the CRE literature both in terms of theory—by showing which factors among many may best relate to recognition—and practice—by improving evaluations of eyewitness reliability.