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Your categorization of the two questions is correct. "Have you ever lied to a supervisor?" is a probable-lie "control" question, and, "Are you worried I will ask you a question we didn't go over earlier?" is a commonly-used "symptomatic" question.
If you were not subjected to any post-test interrogation regarding any of the relevant questions, that is a good indication that you passed. I suspect that the polygrapher questioned you about these non-relevant questions because you showed strong reactions to them, and he was simply fishing for admissions.
Posted by: marie_t - Ex Member Posted on: Jan 3rd, 2005 at 5:09am
I've just completed a pre-employment polygraph for a sheriff's office. After the poly the examiner seemed to focus in on two questions. One seems like an control question. "Have you ever lied to a supervisor?" which I answered honestly, "no." He insisted everyone does, but I have never lied and couldn't think of an admission to give him. The other was am I "worried he will ask you me question that we didn't go over earlier?" From reading the book, that's sounds like a symptomatic question. He indicated I reacted strongly to that. I told him that I might have reacted because I don't whole heartedly believe people when they tell me something. He hammered away at these two issues and then indicated that "something was bothering me" and I really should tell him what it was. I didn't offer him anything. Before I left, he inferred I failed the poly. What do you make of him focusing in on these two questions if neither is a relevant question?