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FREQUENTLY ASK QUESTIONS ON POLYGRAPH

Who should take a polygraph test?

• Generally, any person who desires to verify their truthfulness regarding a specific situation or incident is a good candidate for a polygraph. Any person who intends to lie or withhold any relevant information about the issue under consideration should most certainly not take a polygraph test.

How accurate is the polygraph?

• U.S. Government studies have concluded that when a qualified examiner conducts the test properly, the polygraph exam isalmost 100 percent accurate.The latest research by the Department of Defense has shown a professionally administered polygraph examination to be approximately 98% accurate.It is the most accurate means available for determining the truth or deception of a person answering a direct question in a court.

What should I look for when seeking a polygraph examiner?

• It is important you choose a polygraph examiner who has been professionally trained, accredited, and certified. Every qualified examiner must reach certain competencies before certification can be awarded.It is important to ensure that the polygraph examiner has attendes an APA accredited polygraph school and is a Full member of APA.Beware of unethical individuals who represent themselves as qualified polygraph examiners when, in fact, they do not have formal training or qualifications and not an APA Member.A charlatan will often charge you less for his/her services;however, you should always be skeptical of his/her polygraph examination results.
  
  Does a person’s high blood pressure affect the polygraph test?

• No. While blood pressure is one of the physiological reactions measured, it does not affect the accuracy of the polygraph test.

Will drugs or alcohol affect the accuracy of a polygraph test?

• Contrary to what many think, the use of drugs and/or alcohol will not assist someone to beat a polygraph test. Polygraph examiners utilize certain procedures during a polygraph test ensure that each person taking a test is responding naturally throughout the testing procedure. If you are taking any medication you need to inform the polygraph examiner prior to beginning the test. Physiological affects that drugs have on people are immediately seen in polygraph chart tracings. Irregular physiological recordings must be satisfactorily explained.

How does the polygraph work?

• When a person perceives a threat, the body reacts to the threat. This is referred to as the "fight or flight" reaction, as the body readies itself either to fight off the threat or to flee. When a person tells a lie, it is because for some reason, the truth constitutes a threat to that person. Consequently, certain physiological reactions take place in the person's body which he/she cannot control and which can be measured by the polygraph (See "Human physiology: a basis for the detection of deception" on our web site for more details). A polygraph instrument collects physiological data from at least three systems of the human body. Pneumograph tubes are placed over the examinee's chest and abdominal area to record breathing patterns and finger plates are attached to the fingers to record sweat gland activity. A blood pressure cuff will record cardiovascular activity. The reactions are charted by the polygraph instrument and reflected on charts printed from the recordings.

Procedures followed during an examination

• A typical polygraph examination will include periods referred to as a pre-test phase, a chart collection phase, post- test phase and a test analysis phase. This procedure usually takes one to one and a half hours.

• In the pre-test phase, the polygraph examiner will complete required paperwork and explain the theory of the polygraph in an understandable way to the examinee. The examinees will be given the opportunity to discuss their roles or perceptions regarding the case under investigation and provide relevant information. During this period, the examiner will discuss the questions to be asked and familiarize the examinee with the testing procedure.

• During the chart collection phase, the examiner will administer the examination and collect a number of polygraph charts. No questions will be asked during the examination that have not been discussed and reviewed with the examinee.

• In the post-test phase, the examiner will analyze the charts and render an opinion as to the truthfulness of the person taking the test. The examiner, when appropriate, will offer the examinee an opportunity to explain physiological responses in relation to any questions asked during the examination.

How long does a polygraph examination take?

• A professionally administered polygraph examination should normally take between 2 and 3 hours to properly administer from start to finish. A professional Polygraph examiner will go through several structured test phases to ensure that it will work accurately. The pre-test phase, the test phase, and the post-test phase. During these phases the examiner and the person taking the test will become very involved in discussing the details of the test and the manner in which the questions are presented Persons taking polygraph tests often feel the need to fully explain their circumstances during the pretest This is not discouraged by the examiner. The examiner should also attempt to answer each question presented to him by the person taking the test.

What shall I be asked if I take a polygraph test?

• Each and every question to be asked a person taking a test is discussed in detail with that person in the pretest phase prior to the administration of any polygraph test charts. No professional polygraph examiner will ask a surprise or trick question on a polygraph test. It is not only unethical for an examiner to ask a surprise question but responses to these types of questions do not accurately indicate truthful/non-truthful results.

Is the test confidential?

• Yes, the test is completely confidential between the examiner and the person taking the test. The person taking the test may also elect to provide the results to another person or persons.

Do I get the results of my test?

• In each case a polygraph examiner should always tell the person taking the test how they did on the test. In cases where a person taking a test has a problem in a question, the examiner should bring that problem question to the attention of the person taking the test so as to give them a specific opportunity to resolve that problem.

Can a person’s general nervousness cause them to fail a polygraph test

• No. Everyone who submits to a polygraph is nervous but for many different reasons.

Innocent:

• Although most truthful persons believe they should pass a polygraph test, they are often worried that something might go wrong. This doubt will cause the person taking the test to experience a heightened sense of anxiety about the test itself. This kind of nervousness is normal and has no effect on the positive outcome.

Guilty:

• Guilty persons are nervous also, but for a very different reason. The guilty tend to be afraid they are about to be exposed. When a guilty person’s bad actions are exposed, that guilty person will frequently suffer some negative consequence as a result of having done that bad thing. Being nervous about being exposed or about being punished for having done something bad or wrong is also normal but it tends to help expose the guilty and deceptive.

Do I set a written report?

• A written report including the relevant questions and the examiner’s opinion will be provided upon request, usually with 24 hours.

How many questions will be asked?

• The number of questions that can be asked on a polygraph examination is limited. The number of questions the examiner can ask will depend on the type of test format used by the examiner.

About our other services?

• We specilaised also in Fraud Investigation, Corruption, Conflict of Interest, Due Diligence, Polygraph Examiner Course, Background or Pre Employment Verification, Expatriates Advisory Service, Brand Protection ,Surveillance, Fraud Prevention Strategy and Specilaised Training..

What does the test consist of?

• The polygraph examiner receives and reviews the facts of the case. The examiner formulates the specific test questions based upon the facts of the case and the examinee’s version of the events.

• The examiner explains the test process to the examinee and reviews the facts of the case during the pretest interview. At this time the examiner reads each question to the examinee to make sure each one is easily understood.

• If at any time or for any reason, the examinee feels uncomfortable with the examiner, the examination should be stopped. Arrangements should be made for another examiner to conduct the test at another time.

• The examinee is attached to the polygraph instrument and given additional instructions.

• The questions are read to the examinee three times while they are attached to the polygraph instrument using sensors that measure blood pressure, heart rate, breathing and sweat gland activity. These measurements are charted on graphs or stored in the memory of computerized polygraph units.

• Upon completion of the questions, the examiner will analyze the charts and numerically score the charts to make sure that his analysis is within the acceptable limits of the instrument. This score results in a conclusion that the examinee has answered either truth, deception or is determined to be inconclusive.

• The examiner will transmit the test results to the client verbally as soon as is practical. A written report will be provided if requested.

NOTE: Polygraph exams are conducted in private. No other persons are allowed in the examination room during the test. Exceptions may be made if an examinee requires an interpreter. Most reputable examiners videotape the examination for the protection of all parties involved.

What is measured by a polygraph?

• A standard polygraph records changes in physiological signs. These signs include blood pressure, heart rate, breathing, and sweat gland activity (galvanic skin reflex).

• It does not matter that the examinee is nervous during testing; some nervousness is to be expected. The polygraph records significant changes from the examinee's baseline or normal reading when specific questions are asked.

• An examinee intending deception when answering a particular question activates their sympathetic nervous system when that question is asked. This will cause identifiable changes in one or more of the physical responses that is measured by the polygraph.

What kind of questions can be asked?

• All test questions must be limited to "yes" or "no" answers. The test questions must have definite objective answers and may not be opinions. The test questions must relate to past events of a factual nature. The wording of the questions must only have one interpretation. There are never any questions pertaining to religion or politics.

How many questions can be asked?

• An examiner can usually cover three (3) relevant questions during an exam. This assumes these questions are related to one another (see the question above). It takes about 100 minutes to cover these three questions effectively. If it is necessary to ask more questions, another exam must be designed and conducted, usually at a later time. This will add to the time and cost involved. Test results are usually less reliable with an increase in the number of relevant test questions. A healthy individual can only produce readable polygraph charts for a limited period of time; after this time has passed it is impossible to generate a conclusive polygraph test. Any further testing would need to be scheduled for a different day.
re special examiners needed for sex crimes?

Can someone under age 18 take a polygraph?

• Yes, but the examiner must first have written consent of a parent or guardian. However, most examiners will not test anyone less than 14 years of age barring extraordinary circumstances.

Is the polygraph admissible in court?

• Although the polygraph has been in use in the United States for almost a hundred years, this technique is relatively new in the Asia Pacific region. There is no court ruling on the admissibility of polygraph evidence in most of these countries, including Malaysia. In Japan, polygraph evidence is admissible in court. In the United States, most states permit polygraph examination results to be used as evidence where parties have agreed to their admissibility before the examination is given, under the terms of a stipulation. In one US state, New Mexico, polygraph evidence is admitted in the same way as other scientific evidence. In the O. J. Simpson civil trial, the results of a polygraph were admitted into evidence. This established a precedent across the nation allowing polygraph examinations in civil trials such as divorce cases.

Can someone beat the polygraph?

• While an honest person that has done nothing wrong has no reason to try, some people will try to beat the test.
The polygraph works by recording changes caused by a person's sympathetic nervous system. This is the part of the nervous system that makes your heart beat and causes you to breathe; it can only be consciously controlled very slightly. Attempts to control breathing or heart rate are usually picked up by the trained examiners. A dishonest person might try to affect the outcome of their examination by using drugs or other countermeasures in an attempt to mask the changes caused by their sympathetic nervous system when they answer a question untruthfully.

• A person that is under a physician’s care should continue to take their medication as prescribed. Failure to follow the prescribed regimen of any medication could cause a metabolic imbalance and have potentially serious medical consequences for the examinee. Prescription medications taken as prescribed should not normally affect the outcome of a polygraph examination. If drugs or alcohol impairs an examinee at the time of their test, it is usually obvious to the examiner.

• Attempts to beat the test using medications use of diazepam (Valium) or methylphenidate (Ritalin) are usually unsuccessful. A study published in 1983 showed that the accuracy rate actually IMPROVED in examinees taking these medications before the test. If the use of drugs is suspected, a pre-test (or post-test) drug screening is advised. While the use of certain drugs and medications may affect the exam, such use generally results in an "inconclusive" test rather than changing the result from deceptive to truthful.

• The use of hypnotically induced amnesia to defeat a polygraph examination was the subject of a study published in 1945. While the subjects in this study showed complete posthypnotic amnesia for certain learned words, they recognized the words at the unconscious level.

• Some examinees will attempt to defeat the test by inflicting pain on themselves, excessive movement or controlling their breathing. Use of a motion detection chair will identify many of these attempts. The examinee’s fear of detection in answering relevant questions will usually create more measurable responses than self-inflicted pain during the other questions.

• It is virtually impossible to change a result from "deceptive" to "truthful" through the use of drugs, medications or other countermeasures prior to an exam. This can be demonstrated through verified accuracy rates as high as 98%.

Aren't there some books on trying to beat the polygraph?

• There are books claiming to tell how to beat the polygraph. Some of the books recommend using medications, drugs, hypnosis or self-inflicted pain in an attempt to beat the test. These countermeasures have been proven ineffective.

• One of these books was written by a man that administered over 6,000 tests as part of his job as a police officer. In thousands of tests, he rendered a decision on the truthfulness or deception of the examinee. His decisions affected the employment and the freedom of thousands of people. Now he claims the tests are inaccurate and are not capable of determining truthfulness or deception. Was he telling the truth then? Or is he telling the truth now?

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