Discounting the error costs - Cross-racial false alarms in the culture of contemporary criminal justice

Research regarding own-race bias (ORB) is examined by focusing on results that indicate that Whites may apply more lenient criteria to the recognition or identification of Blacks, resulting in a higher rate of false-alarm responses. The practical context of the forensic identification task is reviewed to assess whether the more lenient criteria applied by witnesses who are attempting identifications of Blacks resonate with the criminal justice system's tendency to apply more lenient criteria to the conviction and sentencing of Blacks. Practical implications and future research directions are considered.