Polygraph examinations, commonly lie detector tests, are used in a variety of situations to attempt to determine if truthful or deceptive during questioning. While the results of a polygraph are not considered conclusive evidence submitted in court, the tests are still widely law enforcement, government agencies, and private companies to help investigate issues and screen candidates.
Pre-test interview and rapport building
The polygraph process the examiner introducing themselves to the examinee (the person being tested) and explaining how the examination will proceed. The examiner will go over the technical aspects of the instrumentation facts about the accuracy and limitations of polygraph testing. This initial phase also involves the examiner attempting to build some rapport and trust with the examinee. The examiner will gather background information on the examinee’s health, personal history, and the issue or incident being addressed in the testing. The examiner aims to in order to get honest, uncompromised physiological responses during the lie detector test Check more info here Do polygraph test on liedetectortest.com.
Reviewing the test questions
The examiner will review the specific questions asked during the polygraph test related to the particular issue or behaviour being investigated. The examiner wills examinee fully the context and meaning behind each question. This phase gives the examinee a chance to discuss the wording of any questions they find ambiguous or unclear. The examiner and examinee may work together to precisely reformulate certain questions. It’s critical that the questions are direct and leave no room for vagueness or misinterpretation.
Establishing baseline responses
To calibrate the polygraph instrument and establish a baseline for the examinee’s physiological responses, the examiner will start by asking a series of simple, clear-cut questions that the examinee will have no reason to be dishonest about. These baseline questions ask very basic facts about the person’s name, employment, age, or similar innocuous informational queries. By observing and recording the physiological data when the examinee answers these direct, unemotional baseline questions truthfully, the examiner the examinee’s body typically responds when they are being honest. This baseline data is a critical component for accurately interpreting the physiological responses during the actual polygraph test questions.
Polygraph test question phase
With the pre-test procedures complete, the official polygraph examination begins. The examiner will connect the examinee to the polygraph instrument using the following components:
- Respiratory sensors– Tubes that track the examinee’s breathing rate and other patterns.
- Sweat gland sensors– Metal plates attached to the examinee’s fingers or hand to measure changes in sweat gland activity.
- Cardiovascular sensors-Inflated cuffs or sensors on the examinee’s arm to monitor pulse, blood pressure, and other cardiovascular indicators.
After test review and analysis
Once all the test questions have been asked and answered, the examinee will have an opportunity to review their responses and provide any clarifying comments or explain physiological responses that may have occurred for innocent reasons. Things like anxiety, annoyance, or other emotions cause fluctuations in the physiological data unrelated to deception. The examiner then enters an analysis phase to score and interpret the combined physiological data recorded during the polygraph test. Using standardized numerical scoring systems designed for polygraph examiners, the examiner evaluates how the examinee’s physiological responses differed between their baseline responses, control question responses, and key relevant question responses.
