??? What about the marijuana Question?  was that not a control Question to?  OTWY told me have you ever used marijuan more than X times........    Would you not sting this question?   Also what about if the control question is worded like Other than what you have told me have you ever committed a crime..... would you change your breathing and pucker up here.  What about  OTWY told me have you ever commited a serious undetected crime....... would you not sting this IE) change breathing ect.... get back soon

anon1,

Of the questions you listed, only two appear to be probable-lie "control" questions:

1. Have you ever called in sick when you were not? 
2. O T W [Y] T Me have you stolen property from where you have worked?

With regard to the first question, most people who have called in sick would likely have some doubt regarding whether each time they were really so ill as to justify staying home from work. The second question is a very common probable-lie "control" question.

Could the above two questions have been intended as relevant questions in a relevant/irrelevant "test?" Perhaps. I don't know.

The question "Have you been truthful with me about these questions?" may have served as a kind of "control" question in a relevant/irrelevant "test." In the DoDPI General Question "Test," a variant of the relevant/irrelevant technique, a similar question is asked at the beginning and end as a form of "hidden control" question. Perhaps such was the case with your pre-employment polygraph interrogation.

The absence of a post-test interrogation combined with your polygrapher's statement that there were "no issues left unresolved" suggests (rather strongly, I think) that you passed.

I recently took a poly for a local PD. I had 3 sets of 12-15 questions asked. The first set related primarily to work questions, the second to drugs and the third to crime. I was prepared to identify control questions and counter but there was maybe 2-4 questions that I could idenetify as control. The rest were all relevant or irrellevant. I errored on the side of relevant all but twice. When I got back I found a post that made mention of the Relevant/Irrelevant format but that it was not discussed in version 1 of the "Lie..." 

What I did instead was try to take my mind elsewhere on the relevant questions - especially the ones that might cause me trouble. I concentrated on changing my boys dirty diapers believe it or not! It seemed to help.

Here are the questions that I could remember:

Set 1: related to work

1. Have you ever called in sick when you were not? 
2. O T W T Me have you stolen property from where you have worked?
3. Have you been truthful with me about these questions?


Set 2: related to drugs (except #1)

1. Have you ever been fired from a job?
2. O T W T Me have you used MJ more than x times?
3. Have you tried dangerous intrevenous narcotics?
4. Have you ever tried cocaine?
5. Have you been truthful with me about these questions?


Set 3: related to major crimes
1. Have you ever committed an undetected crime? 
2. Have you ever forced sex on anyone?
3. Have you ever been paid for a sex act?
4. Have ever participated in an undetected crime?
5. Have you been truthful with me about these questions?

I was reasked 1 question in each set, one of which I countered and that was one that was reasked. Basically I only used countermeasures twice out of 35-45 questions! I am worried that I fall dangerously close to becoming a false-positive because I could not counter. I had no  post test interview, he said there were no issues left unresolved and that the people higher than him would review the test and make their decision. 

What's your take?