DOES NOMINAL LINEUP SIZE MATTER

The minimum number of distractors required in a lineup varies across jurisdictions. However, available data do not support the importance of nominal lineup size as a criterion of lineup fairness. Two staged-crime experiments were conducted in which the central manipulation was lineup size. In the 1st experiment (N = 192), lineup structure was varied by adding 0, 3, or 6 poor foils (persons not resembling the suspect) to a relatively good lineup containing the suspect (guilty or innocent) and 3 good foils (persons resembling the suspect). This manipulation did not significantly influence the rates of either correct or false identification. A second experiment (N = 270) was conducted in which 4, 8, 12, 16 and 20 people were presented with all good foils. Once again, nominal size was found to have no significant effect on the rates of correct and false identification. The importance of nominal lineup size relative to other aspects of lineup procedure is discussed.