Does Cross-Age Contact Reduce the Cross-Age Deficit in Younger and Older Adult's Eyewitness Identification Performance?

Abstract

Age-related differences in identification performance between younger (18–35 years) and older adults (62–68 years), alongside the cross-age effect (CAE), where people recognise own-age faces better than other-age faces, were investigated. Self-reported levels of other-age contact and attitudes, participants' memory for the unbiased lineup instructions, and the confidence-accuracy (C-A) relationship were also examined. Participants (N = 154) viewed two filmed events: one with a young adult target and one with an older adult target. Older adults were less likely than younger adults to identify the perpetrator. Interestingly, the CAE, contact, attitudes, and choosing behaviours did not impact identification performance. Older adults experienced more difficulty remembering the pre-lineup instructions than younger adults, but only after the first lineup. Confidence was predictive of accuracy for both age groups, but this relationship was differently influenced by the CAE. The findings provide further insights into the factors that may impact younger and older adults' identification performance.