Scenario F

The identification of criminal offenders by eyewitnesses is considered an important social and psychological issue. To study it, a researcher decided to stage a crime in the presence of eyewitnesses and then ask them for a description of the perpetrator. The experiment was conducted in a fast-food outlet, and all employees carefully rehearsed the staged crime. The crime was committed by an actor who entered the store, displayed an unloaded handgun, and demanded all the money from the cash register. He told the employees not to call the police and, in making his getaway, shouted, "The first one out the door is going to get blown away." Immediately after the thief left, the researcher and his associates entered the store with a questionnaire, which they distributed to the patrons. The questions dealt with the physical appearance of the thief, whether or not the person had a weapon, and what he or she said. Then each patron was presented with a series of photographs and asked to identify the thief.

Each patron was thoroughly debriefed after the questionnaire was completed, and the important social and psychological issues were discussed. An opportunity was provided for further debriefing and counseling, but no subject indicated a need for further intervention.