Evaluating the feature comparison strategy for forensic face identification.

Facial examiners-who receive extensive training in feature comparison-tend to outperform novices.

“It is also consistent with the fact that facial examiners—who receive extensive training in feature comparison—tend to outperform novices (e.g., [20, 22–24]).”

In previous work, examiners' accuracy was less impaired when face images were presented upside down compared to novices.

“and their accuracy was less impaired when face images were presented upside down compared to novices [20, 22].”

Facial examiners show qualitative differences in performance: extracting more diagnostic identity information from facial features than novices.

“Importantly, these experts also show qualitative differences in their performance: extracting more diagnostic identity information from facial features than novices [20], and showing smaller face inversion effects [20, 22] (see S3 Appendix for details of the inversion effect).”

The accuracy improvements observed in Course D are consistent with previous work showing that feature-by-feature comparison improves face identification accuracy in novices.

“The accuracy improvements observed in Course D are consistent with previous work showing that feature-by-feature comparison improves face identification accuracy in novices [20].”

Recent studies show that facial examiners are more accurate than novices on face identification tasks.

“Recent studies show that facial examiners are more accurate than novices on face identification tasks [20, 22–24].”

The superior accuracy experienced by facial examiners is typically accompanied by qualitative differences in their performance.

“However, the superior accuracy experienced by facial examiners is typically accompanied by qualitative differences in their performance.”

Course D did not produce the qualitative changes associated with expertise in facial image comparison: increased diagnosticity of facial feature similarity ratings and a reduced inversion effect.

“In addition, Course D did not produce the qualitative changes associated with expertise in facial image comparison: increased diagnosticity of facial feature similarity ratings and a reduced inversion effect [20, 22].”

Facial examiners are a specialist group of facial image comparison practitioners who conduct slow, systematic, feature-based comparisons, often as part of criminal investigations.

“Facial examiners are a specialist group of facial image comparison practitioners who conduct slow, systematic, feature-based comparisons, often as part of criminal investigations (see [20, 22, 23]).”

In previous work, examiners' ratings of facial feature similarity were more diagnostic of identity.

“In previous work, examiners’ ratings of facial feature similarity were more diagnostic of identity [20]”

Course D is the only reviewed course to cite empirical evidence to support some of the training material.

“Only two courses (J and K) include reference to scientific studies of error-rates in novice and/or professional groups, and Course D is the only course to cite empirical evidence to support some of the training material [20].”

Facial examiners show smaller face inversion effects than novices.

“Importantly, these experts also show qualitative differences in their performance: extracting more diagnostic identity information from facial features than novices [20], and showing smaller face inversion effects [20, 22] (see S3 Appendix for details of the inversion effect).”

These possibilities do not account for the qualitative differences observed in their performance in previous work.

“However, these possibilities do not account for the qualitative differences observed in their performance in previous work [20, 22].”