Creation of reliable forensic databases for holistic face construction

As part of an international collaboration between the University of Central Lancashire and Luleå University of Technology, this project is developing appropriate methods for creating face databases and procedures for effective construction of holistic face composites.

Research

Construction of identifiable facial composite images is vital for effective policing. Considerable research has indicated the importance of recognition type systems for constructing facial images from eyewitness memory (Frowd, 2021). We have been developing the EvoFIT facial-composite system for over 20 years, shaping each stage of the process from initial interview, composite system to methods for enhancing recognition (e.g., Brown et al., 2019, 2020; Fodarella et al., 2017; Frowd et al., 2006, 2010, 2012, 2015; Martin et al., 2018; Skelton et al., 2019).

Given the important forensic need for effective databases for holistic composite systems (e.g., Frowd et al., 2006; Richardson et al., 2020), the current project explores how best these models should be created and formally assessed for reliability. The project focuses on construction of white Caucasian faces in the UK and Sweden.

Coloured silhouettes of faces

Primary goals and objectives

Reliability analysis for construction of holistic face databases
Formal description of procedures for forensic image creation
Enhancement techniques for best forensic practice

Impact

The project provides a framework of forensic procedures, a ‘gold’ standard, for production of effective models for holistic face construction.

Brown, C., Portch, E., Nelson, L., & Frowd, C. D. (2020). Reevaluating the role of verbalization of faces for composite production: Descriptions of offenders matter! Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 26, 248–265.

Brown, C., Portch, E., Skelton, F. C., Fodarella, C., Kuivaniemi-Smith, H., Herold, K., Hancock, P. J. B., & Frowd, C. D. (2019). The impact of external facial features on the construction of facial composites. Ergonomics, 62, 575-592.

Frowd, C. D. (2021). Forensic Facial Composites. In Toglia, M., Smith, A., & Lampinen, J. M. (Eds.) Methods, Measures, and Theories in Forensic Facial-Recognition Taylor and Francis (pp. 34-64). Taylor and Francis.

Frowd, C. D., Bruce, V., McIntyre, A., Ross, D., Fields, S., Plenderleith, Y., & Hancock, P. J. B. (2006). Implementing holistic dimensions for a facial composite system. Journal of Multimedia, 1, 42-51.

Frowd, C. D., Erickson, W. B., Lampinen, J. L., Skelton, F. C., McIntyre, A. H., & Hancock, P. J. B. (2015). A decade of evolving composite techniques: regression- and meta-analysis. Journal of Forensic Practice, 17, 319-334.

Frowd, C. D., Pitchford, M., Bruce, V., Jackson, S., Hepton, G., Greenall, M., McIntyre, A., & Hancock, P. J. B. (2010). The psychology of face construction: giving evolution a helping hand. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 25, 195–203.

Frowd, C. D., Pitchford, M., Skelton, F. C., Petkovic, A., Prosser, C., & Coates, B. (2012). Catching even more offenders with EvoFIT facial composites. In A. Stoica, D. Zarzhitsky, G. Howells, C. Frowd, K. McDonald-Maier, A. Erdogan, and T. Arslan (Eds.) IEEE Proceedings of 2012 Third International Conference on Emerging Security Technologies (pp. 20 - 26). DOI 10.1109/EST.2012.26.

Frowd, C. D., Skelton F. C., Atherton, C., Pitchford, M., Hepton, G., Holden, L., McIntyre, A., & Hancock, P. J. B. (2012). Recovering faces from memory: the distracting influence of external facial features. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 18, 224-238.

Frowd, C. D., Skelton F. C., Hepton, G., Holden, L., Minahil, S., Pitchford, M., McIntyre, A., Brown, C., & Hancock, P. J. B. (2013). Whole-face procedures for recovering facial images from memory. Science & Justice, 53, 89-97.

Martin, A. J., Hancock, P. J. B., Frowd, C. D., Heard, P., Gaskin, E., Ford, C., & Hewitt, T. (2018). EvoFIT composite face construction via practitioner interviewing and a witness-administered protocol. In G. Howells et al. (Eds.) Proceedings of 12th NASA / ESA Conference on Adaptive Hardware and Systems, 6th - 9th August, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.

Skelton, F. C., Frowd, C. D., Hancock, P. J. B., Jones, H. S., Jones, B. C., Fodarella, C., Battersby, K., & Logan, K. (2019). Constructing identifiable composite faces: the importance of cognitive alignment of interview and construction procedure. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 26, DOI: 10.1037/xap0000257.

Studying forensic psychology (BSc)

Studying forensic psychology (MSc)

Forensic research group

Related research projects

Investigating the effect of visual load on EvoFIT facial composites
The research programme is investigating the impact of presentation of faces to eyewitnesses during construction of EvoFIT facial composites.
In the fight against serious crime police forces worldwide are using advanced digital technology co-developed with the University’s forensic practitioners.
Friday 27 August 2021
Enhancing the effectiveness of facial-composite images
The aim of this programme of research is to understand how to produce more identifiable facial composites by enhancing internal facial features (i.e., the eyes, mouth) using a holistic composite system.
Self-administered procedures for constructing identifiable facial composites
Our research focuses on techniques that allow police to identity suspects through use of composite images produced by witnesses and victims of crime.
Using detailed environmental recall to enhance facial-composite images
The programme of research aims to improve the effectiveness of facial composites by recalling the environment in which a face was seen, which allows a witness to construct the face of an offender more effectively.
Strategies for evolving identifiable facial composite images
This programme of research investigates the best strategies to use when evolving a face from long-term memory using holistic facial-composite systems.