Inter-rater reliability of vehicle color perception for forensic intelligence

The topcoat color of motor vehicles offers vital information while investigating vehicular accidents, especially in instance of hit-and-run, since witnesses seldom perceive and retain the plate details. Differences in color perceptions among individuals with normal vision may lead to confusion in de...

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Main Authors: Khai, Lee, Abdul Fatah, Anis Amanina, Mohd Norizan, Nuryuhanis, Jefrey, Zakiah, Md Nawi, Fatin Hanani, Wan Nor, Wan Fatihah Khairunisa, Huan, Xin Wong, Mohd Ali, Saiful Fazamil, Lim, Poh Ying, Chang, Kah Haw, Abdullah, Ahmad Fahmi Lim
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science 2019
Online Access:http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/80306/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/80306/1/Inter-rater%20reliability%20of%20vehicle%20color%20perception%20for%20forensic%20intelligence%20.pdf
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author Khai, Lee
Abdul Fatah, Anis Amanina
Mohd Norizan, Nuryuhanis
Jefrey, Zakiah
Md Nawi, Fatin Hanani
Wan Nor, Wan Fatihah Khairunisa
Huan, Xin Wong
Mohd Ali, Saiful Fazamil
Lim, Poh Ying
Chang, Kah Haw
Abdullah, Ahmad Fahmi Lim
author_facet Khai, Lee
Abdul Fatah, Anis Amanina
Mohd Norizan, Nuryuhanis
Jefrey, Zakiah
Md Nawi, Fatin Hanani
Wan Nor, Wan Fatihah Khairunisa
Huan, Xin Wong
Mohd Ali, Saiful Fazamil
Lim, Poh Ying
Chang, Kah Haw
Abdullah, Ahmad Fahmi Lim
author_sort Khai, Lee
building UPM Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description The topcoat color of motor vehicles offers vital information while investigating vehicular accidents, especially in instance of hit-and-run, since witnesses seldom perceive and retain the plate details. Differences in color perceptions among individuals with normal vision may lead to confusion in determining the color of the car involved. In this way, witnesses of crash accidents could potentially initiate flawed leads in forensic investigation, and thus affect the administration of justice. In this study, the inter-rater reliability of vehicle color determination by different volunteers was explored. Six individuals observed the topcoat colors of 500 stationary and 500 moving vehicles from five locations, employing a common system of color gradation. The outcome was binary: the vehicle color was either a “match” or “non-match”. This was followed by statistical analysis in terms of the colors’ frequencies and inter-rater reliability, based on which more suitable color descriptions were determined for subsequent comparisons of stationary and moving vehicles. Higher match frequencies and greater interrater reliability were observed when color gradations were disregarded. The frequency of correct matches could have been closely related to their relative on-the-road distribution, regardless of the statuses of observed vehicles. It was also found that black and white were associated with a greater number of matches than were intermediate colors, which should be carefully interpreted during forensic investigation to avoid wrong leads. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated the forensic significance of vehicle topcoat color determination, particularly in cases where witness statements are crucial.
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spelling upm-803062020-10-21T18:16:22Z http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/80306/ Inter-rater reliability of vehicle color perception for forensic intelligence Khai, Lee Abdul Fatah, Anis Amanina Mohd Norizan, Nuryuhanis Jefrey, Zakiah Md Nawi, Fatin Hanani Wan Nor, Wan Fatihah Khairunisa Huan, Xin Wong Mohd Ali, Saiful Fazamil Lim, Poh Ying Chang, Kah Haw Abdullah, Ahmad Fahmi Lim The topcoat color of motor vehicles offers vital information while investigating vehicular accidents, especially in instance of hit-and-run, since witnesses seldom perceive and retain the plate details. Differences in color perceptions among individuals with normal vision may lead to confusion in determining the color of the car involved. In this way, witnesses of crash accidents could potentially initiate flawed leads in forensic investigation, and thus affect the administration of justice. In this study, the inter-rater reliability of vehicle color determination by different volunteers was explored. Six individuals observed the topcoat colors of 500 stationary and 500 moving vehicles from five locations, employing a common system of color gradation. The outcome was binary: the vehicle color was either a “match” or “non-match”. This was followed by statistical analysis in terms of the colors’ frequencies and inter-rater reliability, based on which more suitable color descriptions were determined for subsequent comparisons of stationary and moving vehicles. Higher match frequencies and greater interrater reliability were observed when color gradations were disregarded. The frequency of correct matches could have been closely related to their relative on-the-road distribution, regardless of the statuses of observed vehicles. It was also found that black and white were associated with a greater number of matches than were intermediate colors, which should be carefully interpreted during forensic investigation to avoid wrong leads. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated the forensic significance of vehicle topcoat color determination, particularly in cases where witness statements are crucial. Public Library of Science 2019 Article PeerReviewed text en http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/80306/1/Inter-rater%20reliability%20of%20vehicle%20color%20perception%20for%20forensic%20intelligence%20.pdf Khai, Lee and Abdul Fatah, Anis Amanina and Mohd Norizan, Nuryuhanis and Jefrey, Zakiah and Md Nawi, Fatin Hanani and Wan Nor, Wan Fatihah Khairunisa and Huan, Xin Wong and Mohd Ali, Saiful Fazamil and Lim, Poh Ying and Chang, Kah Haw and Abdullah, Ahmad Fahmi Lim (2019) Inter-rater reliability of vehicle color perception for forensic intelligence. PLoS One, 14 (6). pp. 1-10. ISSN 1932-6203 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/333859602_Inter-rater_reliability_of_vehicle_color_perception_for_forensic_intelligence 10.1371/journal.pone.0218428
spellingShingle Khai, Lee
Abdul Fatah, Anis Amanina
Mohd Norizan, Nuryuhanis
Jefrey, Zakiah
Md Nawi, Fatin Hanani
Wan Nor, Wan Fatihah Khairunisa
Huan, Xin Wong
Mohd Ali, Saiful Fazamil
Lim, Poh Ying
Chang, Kah Haw
Abdullah, Ahmad Fahmi Lim
Inter-rater reliability of vehicle color perception for forensic intelligence
title Inter-rater reliability of vehicle color perception for forensic intelligence
title_full Inter-rater reliability of vehicle color perception for forensic intelligence
title_fullStr Inter-rater reliability of vehicle color perception for forensic intelligence
title_full_unstemmed Inter-rater reliability of vehicle color perception for forensic intelligence
title_short Inter-rater reliability of vehicle color perception for forensic intelligence
title_sort inter-rater reliability of vehicle color perception for forensic intelligence
url http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/80306/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/80306/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/80306/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/80306/1/Inter-rater%20reliability%20of%20vehicle%20color%20perception%20for%20forensic%20intelligence%20.pdf