Cognitive processes underpin much of the work carried out in
many forensic disciplines which require examination of visual
images. Fingerprints, bite and shoe marks, tire tracks, firearms,
hair, handwriting and other forensic domains all hinge on
comparative examination involving visual recognition. Although
human experts are the ‘instrument’ in judging whether two
patterns originate from the same source, understanding the factors
that shape such judgements in forensic science has been relatively
neglected. In the past it has been misconceived that ‘‘fingerprint
identification is an exact science’’ ([1] p. 8); and this perception
goes across all forensic disciplines [2]. The recent National
Academy of Sciences report further highlights that ‘‘the findings
of cognitive psychology... the extent to which practitioners in a
particular forensic discipline rely on human interpretation... are
significant’’ and that ‘‘...Unfortunately, at least to date, there is no