When age-progressed images are unreliable: The roles of external features and age range

When children go missing for many years, investigators commission age-progressed images from forensic artists to depict an updated appearance. These images have anecdotal success, and systematic research has found they lead to accurate recognition rates comparable to outdated photos. The present study examines the reliability of age progressions of the same individuals created by different artists. Eight artists first generated age progressions of eight targets across three age ranges. Eighty-five participants then evaluated the similarity of these images against other images depicting the same targets progressed at the same age ranges, viewing either whole faces or faces with external features concealed. Similarities were highest over shorter age ranges and when external features were concealed. Implications drawn from theory and application are discussed. •Age-progressions of same targets by different artists are not reliably similar.•Reliable similarity increases at shorter age lapses.•Reliable similarity is greater for internal facial features than whole faces.•Reliable similarity predicts similarity to actual intended targets.