More specifically, many of these studies reflected the concept of time and its relationship to eyewitness identification and accuracy. Four of the studies examined response latency, which is the duration between the delivery of a stimulus and the response. In relation to this eyewitness issue, response latency is the duration between the delivery of the lineup and the decision that the eyewitness makes. Dunning & Peretta (2002) concluded that accurate decisions were made within 10-12 seconds. This response latency finding is referred to as “10-12 second rule.” In another study, however, Sauer, Brewer, and Wells (2008) tested the generality of this theory and have disproved the “10-12 second rule” as a reliable theory in predicting accurate decisions. What Sauer, Brewer and Wells (2008) did find was that a high level of confidence, combined with a time boundary, but not necessarily 10-12 seconds, yielded more accurate identifications. A third study also hypothesized and concluded that accurate eyewitness identifications from lineups are made faster than are inaccurate identifications (Weber, Brewer, Wells, Semmler & Keast, 2004). …show more content…
Finally, Brewer, Caon, Todd, & Weber (2006) found that many accurate decisions are actually made before the hypothesized optimum time boundary of 10-12 seconds. In Sauer, Brewer, and Wells’ study (2008), a sequential lineup was used and the computer timed the duration between the stimulus, police lineup, and the response, yes or no. Brewer, Caon, Todd, and Weber (2006) used a similar method in which response latency was recorded by the computer. These studies have given important information on response latency and the “10-12 second rule” concluding that this theory does not hold. It was found that accurate identifications are made faster than inaccurate identifications. Informed by the previous research studies, this researcher hypothesized that a 10 second time limit given to view the lineup will increase eyewitness identification accuracy. From previous studies it is suspected that there is likely some time boundary in which