Expertise in Fingerprint Identification1. Issue 6 (20th June 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Thompson, Matthew B.; Tangen, Jason M.; McCarthy, Duncan J.
• Is Part Of: Journal of forensic sciences. Volume 58:Issue 6(2013)
• Page Start: 1519
• Page End: 1530
• Publication Date: 2013-06-20
• Subjects: forensic science -- fingerprints -- decision making -- expertise -- testimony -- judgment -- law -- policy; Medical jurisprudence -- Periodicals; Forensic sciences -- Periodicals; Forensic Medicine -- Periodicals; Gerechtelijke geneeskunde; Gerechtelijke chemie; Gerechtelijke psychiatrie; 363.2505
• DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.12203
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0022-1198

Abstract

Abstract: Although fingerprint experts have presented evidence in criminal courts for more than a century, there have been few scientific investigations of the human capacity to discriminate these patterns. A recent latent print matching experiment shows that qualified, court‐practicing fingerprint experts are exceedingly accurate (and more conservative) compared with novices, but they do make errors. Here, a rationale for the design of this experiment is provided. We argue that fidelity, generalizability, and control must be balanced to answer important research questions; that the proficiency and competence of fingerprint examiners are best determined when experiments include highly similar print pairs, in a signal detection paradigm, where the ground truth is known; and that inferring from this experiment the statement "The error rate of fingerprint identification is 0.68%" would be unjustified. In closing, the ramifications of these findings for the future psychological study of forensic expertise and the implications for expert testimony and public policy are considered.