How does bias avoidance in lineup procedures affect identifications?

• A. Bias avoidance is irrelevant to lineup reliability.
• B. Proper lineup procedures alone, without bias awareness, determine accuracy.
• C. Proper lineup procedures and bias avoidance reduce the risk of false identifications.
• D. Bias avoidance guarantees a correct identification in all cases.

Answer: (C)

Bias in eyewitness identification arises when non-identifying cues influence a witness's choice. If a lineup isn’t designed and conducted carefully, a witness might pick someone who stands out for unrelated reasons rather than because they resemble the culprit, leading to a false identification. Implementing proper lineup procedures—such as selecting fillers who match the suspect’s appearance, presenting the lineup in a double-blind manner so the administrator doesn’t know who the suspect is, using sequential rather than simultaneous presentations, giving neutral instructions, and allowing a confident decision without prompting—helps remove these biases. By combining sound procedure with bias avoidance, the risk of false identifications decreases significantly. Of course, this doesn’t guarantee a correct identification in every case—memory can be fallible—but reducing bias and following rigorous procedures makes identifications more reliable overall.