Barrett, The Honors College Thesis/Creative Project Collection
Barrett, The Honors College at Arizona State University proudly showcases the work of undergraduate honors students by sharing this collection exclusively with the ASU community.
Barrett accepts high performing, academically engaged undergraduate students and works with them in collaboration with all of the other academic units at Arizona State University. All Barrett students complete a thesis or creative project which is an opportunity to explore an intellectual interest and produce an original piece of scholarly research. The thesis or creative project is supervised and defended in front of a faculty committee. Students are able to engage with professors who are nationally recognized in their fields and committed to working with honors students. Completing a Barrett thesis or creative project is an opportunity for undergraduate honors students to contribute to the ASU academic community in a meaningful way.
Eyewitness identification has been one of the most crucial components in identifying perpetrators in criminal cases. Misidentification of a suspect often has detrimental effects, with many innocent individuals being wrongfully convicted. In order to fully understand the causes of misidentification, a proper understanding of the process of eyewitness identification must be understood in order to ensure that fewer individuals are falsely imprisoned.
Eyewitness identification has been one of the most crucial components in identifying perpetrators in criminal cases (The Innocence Project, 2022). Law enforcement officials utilize numerous procedures, the most common being photographic arrays, live lineups, and showups (The National Academies Press, 2014). While this process is critical in identifying a suspect during an ongoing investigation, it is not without faults. Misidentification of a suspect often has detrimental effects, with many innocent individuals being wrongfully convicted (The Innocence Project, 2022). In order to fully understand the causes of misidentification, a proper understanding of the process of eyewitness identification must be understood. Through investigating two published studies, one by Rose & Beck and the other by Gonzalez, it is seen that suggestion and police-introduced bias can have a negative impact on an identification, especially in lineups and showups. The case of Malcolm Alexander explains first-hand how police bias and suggestion can plant a false memory, leading to a misidentification, and, at times, a false conviction. Through a qualitative research-based interview with a Phoenix employee who has made identifications with police, suggestion is once again revealed though the questions asked by the officer. Through these findings, suggestions to improve eyewitness identification procedures are established.
Eyewitness identification has been one of the most crucial components in identifying perpetrators in criminal cases (The Innocence Project, 2022). Law enforcement officials utilize numerous procedures, the most common being photographic arrays, live lineups, and showups (The National Academies Press, 2014). While this process is critical in identifying a suspect during an ongoing investigation, it is not without faults. Misidentification of a suspect often has detrimental effects, with many innocent individuals being wrongfully convicted (The Innocence Project, 2022). In order to fully understand the causes of misidentification, a proper understanding of the process of eyewitness identification must be understood. Through investigating two published studies, one by Rose & Beck and the other by Gonzalez, it is seen that suggestion and police-introduced bias can have a negative impact on an identification, especially in lineups and showups. The case of Malcolm Alexander explains first-hand how police bias and suggestion can plant a false memory, leading to a misidentification, and, at times, a false conviction. Through a qualitative research-based interview with a Phoenix employee who has made identifications with police, suggestion is once again revealed though the questions asked by the officer. Through these findings, suggestions to improve eyewitness identification procedures are established.
