Previous research concerning the accuracy of eyewitness lineup identifications suggests various factors impact cognitive performance. Most relevant to the present study was the effect of physical exertion on facial recognition memory, as well as the factors that contribute to incorrect misidentifications of an innocent person from a lineup. The present study considered both of these factors, and executed a replication and extension of Hope et al.’s (2012) work, which examined the effect of physical exertion on recall and recognition memory among Canadian police officers. Unlike Hope et al.’s research, the present study included a target-absent condition to specifically consider the effects of physical exertion on misremembering. In order to do so, RCMP cadets from Regina Depot Division were assigned to either a Physical Exertion or Control group. Participants in the Physical Exertion group completed a physically demanding task to exert them to a similar degree as they would be exerted in the field. All participants viewed a video that depicted a theft, and then completed a recognition memory task. Non-exerted participants were found to be more accurate in identifying the culprit in a target present lineup than exerted participants, therefore highlighting the negative impact of exertion on cognitive performance. However, exerted participants showed greater accuracy in correctly rejecting target absent lineups than non-exerted participants. Possible implications of metamemory on response accuracy were explored.

A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Psychology, University of Regina. 43 p.