Is It Possible to Identify a Criminal by Voice Alone?

Abstract

Imagine you overhear someone talking about a robbery they just committed. You hear their voice, but you can not see them. A few weeks later, the police ask you to identify the person you overheard, from a voice lineup. You listen to different peoples’ voices and try to pick out the criminal. Do you think you would be able to do it? Perhaps you think you would be able to identify the criminal because you can easily recognize the voices of your family and friends. In fact, recognizing a stranger’s voice is difficult. There are many reasons you might struggle to remember a stranger’s voice accurately. We will learn about how memory for voices works, and how it can help us predict whether an “earwitness” will correctly select the guilty person. We will also learn how the police can help an earwitnesses to pick the criminal out of the lineup.