Eyewitness Identification
Witnesses are often called on to provide information to criminal investigators. The police administer witness identification procedures to test whether witnesses identify the criminal suspect as the culprit. Identification accuracy (the witness’ ability to accurate discriminate guilty from innocent suspects) can be affected by the type of identification procedure used, the physical appearance of the fillers (i.e., distractors, or known innocent persons in the lineup) and other factors (e.g., witness age, witness alcohol intoxication). We examine the basic memory mechanisms underlying accurate and inaccurate identifications.
Publications
Articles
2021
Colloff, M. F., Wilson, B. M., & Flowe, H. D. (2021). Legal System v. Eyewitness: The jury is still out for who is better able to reduce eyewitness error (variance). Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, 10, 200-204. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jarmac.2021.04.001
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Colloff, M. F., Wilson, B. M., Seale-Carlisle, T. M., & Wixted, J. T. (2021). Optimizing the Selection of Fillers in Police Lineups. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 118, 8, e2017292118 [Preprint].
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Colloff, M. F., Flowe, H. D., Smith, H. J., Seale-Carlisle, T. M., Meissner, C. A., Rockey, J. C., Pande, B., Kujur, P., Parveen, N., Chandel, P., Singh, M. M., Pradhan, & S., Parganiha, A. (in press). Active exploration of faces in police lineups increases discrimination accuracy. American Psychologist. [Preprint].
Colloff, M. F., Seale-Carlisle, T. M., Karagolu, N., Rockey, J. C., Smith, H. J., Smith, L., Maltby, J., Yaremenko, S., & Flowe, H. D. (2021). Perpetrator pose reinstatement during a lineup test increases discrimination accuracy. Scientific Reports, 11: 13830. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-92509-0 [Preprint].
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Colloff, M. F., Wilson, B. M., Seale-Carlisle, T. M., & Wixted, J. T. (2021). Optimizing the Selection of Fillers in Police Lineups. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 118, 8, e2017292118 [Preprint].
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2020
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Colloff, M. F., & Wixted, J. T. (2020). Why are lineups better than showups? A test of the A Test of the Filler Siphoning and Enhanced Discriminability Accounts. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied. https://doi.org/10.1037/xap0000218 Supplemental material
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Jores, T., Colloff, M. F., Kloft, L., Smailes, H., & Flowe, H.D. (2019). A meta-analysis of the effects of acute alcohol intoxication on witness recall. Applied Cognitive Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.3533
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Seale-Carlisle, T. M., Colloff, M., Flowe, H., Wells, W., Wixted, J., & Mickes, L. (2019). Confidence and response time as indicators of eyewitness identification accuracy in the lab and in the real world. Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, 8, 420-428. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jarmac.2019.09.003
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Benedict, J., et al. (2018). Social perception of faces around the world: How well does the valence-dominance model generalize across world regions? (Registered Report Stage 1).
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Colloff, M. F., Wade, K. A., Strange, D., & Wixted, J. T. (in press). Filler siphoning theory does not predict the effect of lineup fairness on the ability to discriminate innocent from guilty suspects: Reply to Smith, Wells, Smalarz, & Lampinen (2017).Psychological Science.
Flowe, H. D., Carline, A., & KaroÄŸlu, N. (In press). Testing the Reflection Assumption: A Comparison of Eyewitness Ecology in the Laboratory and Criminal Cases. International Journal of Evidence and Proof.
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Smailes, H., Humphries, J., Ryder, H., Klatt, T., Maltby, J., Pearmain, A. M., & Flowe, H. D. (2018). Age-related differences in spontaneous trait judgments from facial appearance. Psychology, Psychiatry, and Law.
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Colloff, M. F., Wade, K. A., Wixted, J. T., & Maylor, E. A. (2017). A signal-detection analysis of eyewitness identification across the adult lifespan. Psychology and Aging, 32, 243–258. doi:10.1037/pag0000168
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Colloff, M. F., Wade, K. A., & Strange, D. (2016). Unfair lineups make witnesses more likely to confuse innocent and guilty suspects. Psychological Science, 27, 1227–1239. doi:10.1177/0956797616655789
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Flowe, H. D., Smith, H. M. J., KaroÄŸlu, N. K., Onwuegbusi, T. O., & Rai, L. (2015). Configural and component processing in simultaneous and sequential lineup procedures. Memory, 24(3), 306-314.
Smith, H. M. J., & Flowe, H. D. (2015). ROC analysis of the verbal overshadowing effect: Testing the effect of verbalisation on memory sensitivity. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 29 (2), 159-168. doi: 10.1002/acp.3096
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Flowe, H. D., Klatt, T., & Colloff, M. F. (2014). Selecting fillers on emotional appearance improves lineup identification accuracy. Law and Human Behavior, 38, 509–519. doi:10.1037/lhb0000101
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Humphries, J. E., Holliday, R., & Flowe, H. D. (2012). Faces in motion: Age related changes in eyewitness identification performance in simultaneous, sequential, and elimination video lineups. Applied Cognitive Psychology 26, 149-158. doi:10.1002/acp.1808
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Mickes, L., Flowe, H. D., & Wixted, J. T. (2012). Receiver operating characteristic analysis of eyewitness memory: comparing the diagnostic accuracy of simultaneous vs. sequential lineups. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied,18(4):361-76. doi: 10.1037/a0030609.
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Flowe, H. D. (2011). An exploration of visual behaviour in eyewitness identification tests. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 25: 244-254. doi: 10.1002/acp.1670
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Flowe, H. D., & Besemer, A. N. (2011). The effects of target discriminability and criterion placement on accuracy rates in sequential and simultaneous target-present lineups. Psychology Crime and Law, 17, 587-610. doi: 10.1080/10683160903397540
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Flowe, H. D., & Cottrell, G. (2011). An examination of simultaneous lineup decision processes using eye tracking. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 25, 443-451. doi: 10.1002/acp.1711
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Flowe, H. D., & Humphries, J. E. (2011). An examination of criminal face bias in a random sample of police lineups. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 25: 265-273. doi: 10.1002/acp.1673
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Flowe, H. D., VanNess, N., & Ebbesen, E. B. (2010). Testing the Reflection Assumption: An examination of the external validity of published studies on lineup identification accuracy. Unpublished
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Mansour, J. K., & Flowe, H. D. (2010). Eyetracking and eyewitness memory. Forensic Update No. 101, Autumn, 2010.
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2021​​
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Colloff, M. F., Wilson, B. M., Seale-Carlisle, T. M., & Wixted, J. T. (2021). Optimizing the Selection of Fillers in Police Lineups. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 118, 8, e2017292118 [Preprint].
​
Colloff, M. F., Flowe, H. D., Smith, H. J., Seale-Carlisle, T. M., Meissner, C. A., Rockey, J. C., Pande, B., Kujur, P., Parveen, N., Chandel, P., Singh, M. M., Pradhan, & S., Parganiha, A. (in press). Active exploration of faces in police lineups increases discrimination accuracy. American Psychologist. [Preprint].
Colloff, M. F., Seale-Carlisle, T. M., Karagolu, N., Rockey, J. C., Smith, H. J., Smith, L., Maltby, J., Yaremenko, S., & Flowe, H. D. (2021). Perpetrator pose reinstatement during a lineup test increases discrimination accuracy. Scientific Reports, 11: 13830. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-92509-0 [Preprint].
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Colloff, M. F., Wilson, B. M., Seale-Carlisle, T. M., & Wixted, J. T. (2021). Optimizing the Selection of Fillers in Police Lineups. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 118, 8, e2017292118 [Preprint].
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2020
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Colloff, M. F., & Wixted, J. T. (2020). Why are lineups better than showups? A test of the A Test of the Filler Siphoning and Enhanced Discriminability Accounts. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied. https://doi.org/10.1037/xap0000218 Supplemental material
​
Jores, T., Colloff, M. F., Kloft, L., Smailes, H., & Flowe, H.D. (2019). A meta-analysis of the effects of acute alcohol intoxication on witness recall. Applied Cognitive Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.3533
​
Seale-Carlisle, T. M., Colloff, M., Flowe, H., Wells, W., Wixted, J., & Mickes, L. (2019). Confidence and response time as indicators of eyewitness identification accuracy in the lab and in the real world. Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, 8, 420-428. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jarmac.2019.09.003
​
Benedict, J., et al. (2018). Social perception of faces around the world: How well does the valence-dominance model generalize across world regions? (Registered Report Stage 1).
​​​
Colloff, M. F., Wade, K. A., Strange, D., & Wixted, J. T. (in press). Filler siphoning theory does not predict the effect of lineup fairness on the ability to discriminate innocent from guilty suspects: Reply to Smith, Wells, Smalarz, & Lampinen (2017).Psychological Science.
Flowe, H. D., Carline, A., & KaroÄŸlu, N. (In press). Testing the Reflection Assumption: A Comparison of Eyewitness Ecology in the Laboratory and Criminal Cases. International Journal of Evidence and Proof.
​
Smailes, H., Humphries, J., Ryder, H., Klatt, T., Maltby, J., Pearmain, A. M., & Flowe, H. D. (2018). Age-related differences in spontaneous trait judgments from facial appearance. Psychology, Psychiatry, and Law.
​
Colloff, M. F., Wade, K. A., Wixted, J. T., & Maylor, E. A. (2017). A signal-detection analysis of eyewitness identification across the adult lifespan. Psychology and Aging, 32, 243–258. doi:10.1037/pag0000168
​
Colloff, M. F., Wade, K. A., & Strange, D. (2016). Unfair lineups make witnesses more likely to confuse innocent and guilty suspects. Psychological Science, 27, 1227–1239. doi:10.1177/0956797616655789
​
Flowe, H. D., Smith, H. M. J., KaroÄŸlu, N. K., Onwuegbusi, T. O., & Rai, L. (2015). Configural and component processing in simultaneous and sequential lineup procedures. Memory, 24(3), 306-314.
Smith, H. M. J., & Flowe, H. D. (2015). ROC analysis of the verbal overshadowing effect: Testing the effect of verbalisation on memory sensitivity. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 29 (2), 159-168. doi: 10.1002/acp.3096
​
Flowe, H. D., Klatt, T., & Colloff, M. F. (2014). Selecting fillers on emotional appearance improves lineup identification accuracy. Law and Human Behavior, 38, 509–519. doi:10.1037/lhb0000101
​
Humphries, J. E., Holliday, R., & Flowe, H. D. (2012). Faces in motion: Age related changes in eyewitness identification performance in simultaneous, sequential, and elimination video lineups. Applied Cognitive Psychology 26, 149-158. doi:10.1002/acp.1808
​
Mickes, L., Flowe, H. D., & Wixted, J. T. (2012). Receiver operating characteristic analysis of eyewitness memory: comparing the diagnostic accuracy of simultaneous vs. sequential lineups. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied,18(4):361-76. doi: 10.1037/a0030609.
​
Flowe, H. D. (2011). An exploration of visual behaviour in eyewitness identification tests. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 25: 244-254. doi: 10.1002/acp.1670
​
Flowe, H. D., & Besemer, A. N. (2011). The effects of target discriminability and criterion placement on accuracy rates in sequential and simultaneous target-present lineups. Psychology Crime and Law, 17, 587-610. doi: 10.1080/10683160903397540
​
Flowe, H. D., & Cottrell, G. (2011). An examination of simultaneous lineup decision processes using eye tracking. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 25, 443-451. doi: 10.1002/acp.1711
​
Flowe, H. D., & Humphries, J. E. (2011). An examination of criminal face bias in a random sample of police lineups. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 25: 265-273. doi: 10.1002/acp.1673
​
Flowe, H. D., VanNess, N., & Ebbesen, E. B. (2010). Testing the Reflection Assumption: An examination of the external validity of published studies on lineup identification accuracy. Unpublished
​
Mansour, J. K., & Flowe, H. D. (2010). Eyetracking and eyewitness memory. Forensic Update No. 101, Autumn, 2010.
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Presentations
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Flowe, H.D. (2018). Criminal identification viewed from a different angle: Can a novel interactive lineup procedure improve accuracy? Invited talk, Flinders University, School of Psychology, Adelaide, Australia.
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Colloff, M. F., Smith, L., Karoglu, N., Maltby, S., Smith, H. M. J., Flowe, H. D. (2018). Can a Novel Interactive Lineup Procedure Attenuate the Own Race Bias? Presented at the American Psychology Law Society conference, Memphis, Tennessee, U. S. A.
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Colloff, M. F., Smith, H. M. J., Smith, L., Meissner, C. A., & Flowe, H. D. (2018, May). Can a novel interactive lineup procedure attenuate the own-race bias? Psychonomics International, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
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Colloff, M. F., Meissner, C. A., Smith, L., & Flowe, H. D. (2018, March). Can a novel interactive lineup procedure attenuate the own race bias? Poster to be presented at the Annual Conference of the American Psychology-Law Society, Tennessee, US.
Colloff, M. F., Meissner, C. A., Smith, L., & Flowe, H. D. (2018, April). Can a novel interactive lineup procedure attenuate the own race bias? Poster to be presented at the meeting of the Experimental Psychology Society (EPS), University of Leicester, UK.
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Smith H. M. J., Andrews, S. White, D., Davis, J., Colloff, M. F., Baguley, T., & Flowe, H. D. (2018). A novel interactive face matching procedure: Performance of normal and superior face recognizers. Experimental Psychology Society meeting, Leicester.
Colloff, M. F., & Wixted, J. T. (2017, August). Why are lineups better than showups? A test of the filler siphoning vs. enhanced discriminability accounts. British Psychological Society Cognitive Section Conference, Newcastle University, UK.
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Flowe, H. D., Smith, L., Colloff, M. F., Smith, H.M. J., KaroÄŸlu, N., & Maltby, J. (2017). Criminal identification viewed from a different angle:
Can a novel interactive lineup procedure improve accuracy? Paper presented at the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences: Forensic Biometrics - The Future, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
Colloff, M. F., Smith, L., KaroÄŸlu, N., Maltby, J., Smith, H., & Flowe, H. D. (2017, August). Criminal identification viewed from a different angle: Can a novel 3D interactive lineup procedure improve accuracy? British Psychological Society Cognitive Section Conference, Newcastle University, UK.
Colloff, M. F., Smith, L., KaroÄŸlu, N., Maltby, J., Smith, H., & Flowe, H. D. (2017, August). Criminal identification viewed from a different angle: Can a novel 3D interactive lineup procedure improve accuracy? Poster presented at Face Recognition at its Best, London, UK.
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Flowe, H. D., & Carline, A. (2017). Interviewing complainants who were alcohol intoxicated during sexual assault: New evidence for practice. Paper presented at 'New Evidence for Practice' Conference at the Leicestershire Police Constabulary July 2017.
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Flowe, H. D., Takarangi, M. K. T., Zelek, K., Catanho, R. (2017). Effects of acute alcohol intoxication during encoding on accuracy, confidence and grainsize regulation. Paper presented at the American Psychology and Law Society, Seattle, WA.
Colloff, M. F. (2017, November). Enhancing eyewitness identification accuracy: Distinctive features, diagnostic-feature-detection, and (heated) debate. Forensic Seminar Series, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, UK.
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Colloff, M. F., & Wade, K. A. (2017, January). Replicating distinctive features in police lineups. Poster presented at the meeting of the Society for Applied Research in Memory and Cognition (SARMAC), Sydney, Australia.
Colloff, M. F. (2016, June). Blame it on the beard. Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) Final, University of Warwick, UK.
Colloff, M. F. (2016, September). Blame it on the beard. Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) National Final at the Vitae Researcher Development International Conference, Manchester, UK.
Colloff, M. F., & Wade, K. A. (2016, July). Enhancing identification performance in lineups for distinctive suspects. In C. Dodson (Chair), Eyewitness Identification: Confidence, Accuracy, and Justifications conducted at the International Conference on Memory (ICOM6), Budapest, Hungary.
Colloff, M. F., & Wixted, J. T. (2016, July). Why are lineups better than showups? Joint meeting of the Experimental Psychology Society (EPS) and Sociedad espanola de psicologia experimental (SEPEX), St Anne’s College, University of Oxford, UK.
Colloff, M. F. (2016, May). Police suspects with distinctive facial features. Flash Talk Competition, Department of Psychology, University of Warwick, UK.
Colloff, M. F., & Wade, K. A. (2016, July). How should the police replicate a suspect’s distinctive feature across foils? Poster presented at the International Conference on Memory (ICOM6), Budapest, Hungary.
Colloff, M. F., Wade, K. A., & Strange, D. (2015, June). Lineup composition: Accommodating suspects with distinctive features. In N. Brewer (Chair), Eyewitness Identification’s Young Scientists Symposium conducted at the meeting of the Society for Applied Research in Memory and Cognition (SARMAC), Victoria, BC, Canada.
Colloff, M. F., & Wade, K. A. (2015, June). Constructing police lineups for suspects with distinctive facial features. Poster presented at the Postgraduate Research Showcase, University of Warwick, UK.
Colloff, M. F., & Wade, K. A. (2015, June). Presenting suspects with distinctive facial features in lineups. Poster presented at the Postgraduate Research Day, Department of Psychology, University of Warwick, UK.
Colloff, M. F., & Wade, K. A. (2015, May). Constructing lineups for suspects with distinctive facial features. Internal Seminar Series, Department of Psychology, University of Warwick, UK.
Colloff, M. F., & Wade, K. A. (2015, May). Presenting suspects with distinctive facial features in lineups. Poster presented at the inaugural International Convention of Psychological Science (ICPS), Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Colloff, M. F. (2015, January). Eyewitness identification procedures. Psychology & Law Interdisciplinary Seminar Series, Criminal Justice Centre, University of Warwick, UK.
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Flowe, H. D. (2014). Emergence of the ‘Simultaneous Superiority Effect’ – A curious paradigm shift in eyewitness identification research. Invited talk, Nottingham Trent University.
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Colloff, M. F., & Wade, K. A. (2014, May). A receiver operating characteristic analysis of lineup procedures for suspects with distinctive features. Paper presented at Postgraduate Research Day, University of Warwick, UK.
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Flowe, H. D. (2013). Inferring criminality from facial appearance. Invited Talk, University of Warwick.
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Flowe, H. D., & Smith, H. M. J. (2013). Configural and holistic processing in simultaneous and sequential lineups. Society for Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, Rotterdam, NE.
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Mickes, L., Wixted, J., & Flowe, H. D. (2013). A receiver operator characteristics analysis of simultaneous and sequential lineups. American Psychology and Law Society, Portland, US.
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Klatt, T. & Flowe, H. D. (2013). Trustworthiness and dominance underpin criminal face bias in lineups. American Psychology and Law Society, Portland, US.
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Onwuegbusi, T., Barrett, D., & Flowe, H. D. (2013). Competitive and temporal interactions affect the accuracy of eyewitness identification. American Psychology and Law Society, Portland, US.
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Flowe, H. D. (2012). Simultaneous versus sequential lineups: What do we know? Invited Talk, University of Birmingham.
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Flowe, H. D. (2011). An examination of criminal face bias in a random sample of photographic police line-ups. Invited paper presented at the British Psychological Society, Glasgow, UK.
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Flowe, H. D., & Merry, R. (2011). Is the negative effect of stress on face memory moderated by stressor onset? American Psychology and Law Society, Miami, US
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Flowe, H. D., & Ward, C. (2011). The effects of masculinity and suspect gender on perceptions of guilt. American Psychology and Law Society, Miami, US.
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Flowe, H. D. (2010). Eyewitness visual behaviour. Invited paper presented at the British Psychological Society, Division of Forensic Psychology Conference, Canterbury, UK.
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Flowe, H. D. (2010). Between deep breaths: The relationship between stressor onset and eyewitness memory for faces. European Association of Psychology and Law, Gothenburg, Sweden.
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Humphries, J. E., Flowe, H. D., & Takarangi, M. K. (2010). How often do intoxicated eyewitnesses provide testimony in serious crimes? American Psychology and Law Society Conference, Vancouver, Canada.
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Flowe, H. D. (2009). An Examination of Lineup Decision Processes Using Eye Movements. Invited Talk, University of Portsmouth.
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Flowe, H. D. (2009). An exploration of visual behaviour in eyewitness identification tests. Invited talk, University of Plymouth.
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Flowe, H. D. (2009). The effect of eyewitness identification evidence on charge reduction in felony cases. American Psychology and Law Society Meeting, San Antonio, TX.
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Flowe, H. D. (2009). A comparison of decision processes in simultaneous and sequential criminal lineups: Inversion and composite effects examined. British Psychological Society, Division of Forensic Psychology Conference, Preston, UK.
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Flowe, H. D. & Holliday, R. E. (2009). An examination of holistic versus analytical retrieval strategies in eyewitness identification tests. Psychonomic Society, Boston, MA.
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Flowe, H. D., & Humphries, J. E. (2009). An examination of criminal face bias in a random sample of photographic police line-ups. British Psychological Society, Division of Forensic Psychology Conference, Preston, UK.
Sherman, B. E., & Flowe, H. D. (2009). The effect of criminal face bias on simultaneous and sequential lineup identifications. British Psychological Society, Division of Forensic Psychology Conference, Preston, UK.
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Book Chapters
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Smith, H. M. J., Ryder, H. L., & Flowe, H. D. (2017). Eyewitness Evidence. In G. Davies and A. Beech (Eds.), Forensic Psychology: Crime, Justice, Law, Interventions. Chichester, West Sussex ; Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons.
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Ryder, H. L., Smith, H. M. J., & Flowe, H. D. (2015). Factors affecting eyewitness identification. In T. Valentine and J. P. Davis (Eds.), Forensic facial identification: Theory and practice of identification from eyewitnesses, composites and CCTV. London: Wiley-Blackwell
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Flowe, H. D., Finklea, K., & Ebbesen, E. (2009). Limitations of expert psychology testimony on eyewitness identification. Expert testimony on the psychology of eyewitness identification (pp. 201-221). New York, NY US: Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195331974.003.009
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Wade, K. A., Nightingale, S. J., & Colloff, M. F. (2016). Photos and Memory. In R. Nash & J. Ost, (Eds.), False and Distorted Memories (pp. 39–54). Hove, UK: Psychology Press.