Which statement best characterizes a show-up identification's susceptibility to bias?

• A. It is less biased than a lineup.
• B. It is equally biased as a lineup.
• C. It is not susceptible to bias.
• D. It is more susceptible to bias in many cases due to single-person identification.

Answer: (D)

Show-up identifications are particularly prone to bias because you’re presenting the witness with a single face and no immediate basis for comparison. With only one person shown, there’s no opportunity for the witness to rule out alternatives or to rely on a memory-versus-memory check against a lineup of suspects. That makes the identification more vulnerable to suggestive influences—from the officer’s tone, comments, or body language to the witness’s desire to please the examiner or to fit an expectation about who committed the crime.

In a lineup, by contrast, multiple people are shown and the witness must decide whether any of them match the memory of the offender. This setup, especially with proper procedures like fair filler foils and blinded administration, provides a more objective test and reduces the chance that innocent individuals will be identified simply because they resemble a remembered face or because of external cues.

Because a show-up places the witness under stronger pressure to identify someone from a single option, bias can more easily steer the outcome in many situations. That’s why the statement describing show-ups as more susceptible to bias due to single-person identification is the most accurate.