What You Should Know About A Polygraph Test

| Tuesday, June 12, 2012
By Sarah Jane Smith


A polygraph test has a reputation for proving whether or not a person is telling the truth or not. When a lie detector procedure is administered, there can be one of three results. The results may be categorized as inconclusive. Sometimes the person is said to have passed the exam. The third possible result is that the person is found to be deceptive. It is important to realize that if you don't understand how the test actually operates, you may not realize what can happen when a lie detector exam is taken. The results may have little to do with truth or lies.



When considering if a lie detector test is valid, you should first learn how it operates. The device technically operates by measuring blood pressure, pulse, respiration and skin conductivity. The person being tested is asked some "control" questions to which the answers are known. Then, there are the actual test questions, sometimes interspersed with control questions. The physiological measurements for each of the questions are compared. The public belief is that the measurements will increase if the person is lying.

Public understanding is that a person who is attempting to deceive can't hide the physiological changes that occur with deception. By measuring the elements of physiology, the device will indicate when a falsehood is present. When this misconception is accepted, the results of the procedure will also be affected.

It may be surprising to know that a lie detector procedure is effective more as a technique for interrogation than as a way to determine whether a person is lying. The fear that one will be considered untruthful, and the fact that the examiner or the police may be less than forthcoming about the results of the examination can combine to cause disastrous results. The statements about the results of a law enforcement-administered test are not necessarily honest.

It has been proven that the results of the exam can be manipulated by the person being examined. If the role of control questions are fully understood and managed, the questions will be less crucial. Reducing the differences between the baseline and the measurements on the crucial questions will be read as truthfulness. Rather than trying to reduce the peaks due to key questions, increase the level of the baseline questions.

A good defense attorney will counsel clients to never undergo a law enforcement initiated lie detector test. However, a neutral or defense paid examination may be arranged and the results released if beneficial to the person under suspicion. If the test is required as a condition of employment, the person being examined would be wise to ensure that there is a full understanding of how the test works.

The Supreme Court and other lower courts do not accept polygraphs as anything other than pseudoscience. Results cannot be entered into evidence. Studies cannot prove accuracy of the tests.

Learning the facts about a polygraph test is important, particularly if you are in a position where you may be urged to take one. It is best to discuss the matter with an attorney before agreeing to such an exam. More information about the test and its role in law enforcement can be found by searching the internet, printed materials and other educational sources.




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