Face Research

The face research lab studies theoretical and applied aspect of face perception. We developed EvoFIT, a facial composite system, designed to help witnesses to or victims of crime create a likeness of the face of the perpetrator. It is currently in use by police forces around the UK and beyond, with between 25-60% of composites made leading directly to an arrest. We have also demonstrated that combining composites from different witnesses makes an image that is more identifiable than the individual attempts and developed a novel way to caricature composites that further improves identification.

Left composite, right photograph of a man convicted of rape in Manchester, caught by EvoFit

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Example publications

• Bruce, V., Ness, H., Hancock, P. J.B ., Newman, C., & Rarity, J. (2002). Four heads are better than one: combining face composites yields improvements in face likeness. Journal of Applied Psychology, 87(5), 894.

• Frowd, C. D., Bruce, V., Ross, D., McIntyre, A. H., & Hancock, P. J. B. (2007). An application of caricature: How to improve the recognition of facial composites. Visual Cognition, 15(8), 954–984. pdf

• Frowd, C. D., Hancock, P. J.B ., Bruce, V., Skelton, F. C., Atherton, C., Nelson, L., McIntyre, A. H., et al. (2011). Catching More Offenders with EvoFIT Facial Composites: Lab Research and Police Field Trials. Global Journal of Human Social Science, 11(3), 35–46.