Date of Award
Fall 12-2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department/Program
Forensic Psychology
Language
English
First Advisor or Mentor
Jacqueline Katzman
Second Reader
Kelly McWilliams
Third Advisor
Melanie Fessinger
Abstract
Recently, a recommendation has emerged for law enforcement to record the full eyewitness identification procedure, recognizing the critical role eyewitness testimony plays in the justice system (Wells et al., 2020). However, in some states, such as New York, law enforcement is required to seek consent from witnesses before recording (Municipal Police Training Council & Division of Criminal Justice Services, 2017). Since this practice is relatively new, there has been limited research on how obtaining consent may affect eyewitness accuracy. It was hypothesized that obtaining consent to video record could be linked to a witness’s confidence in their identification, with higher confidence potentially correlating with greater accuracy. The present study examined how consent, and confidence interact in the context of eyewitness identification. Although the hypotheses were not supported, the findings suggest that consent requirements for video recording eyewitness identification procedures neither enhance nor impair eyewitness confidence or accuracy. Notably, approximately one-third of participants declined to be recorded, raising important policy concerns that consent-based recording requirements may reduce the availability of video documentation intended to promote transparency and evaluative oversight.
Recommended Citation
Argüelles, Sarah, "Eyewitness Consent to be Video Recorded: Implications for Identification Accuracy and Confidence" (2025). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/jj_etds/376
Included in
Criminal Law Commons, Criminal Procedure Commons, Criminology and Criminal Justice Commons, Forensic Science and Technology Commons, Law and Psychology Commons
