During the post-test, it is more common for polygraphers to inquire what was bothering the examinee about relevant questions. After all, the relevant questions are those of greatest concern.

If, however, upon the conclusion of the polygraph examination, the polygrapher were to express interest in knowing why one reacted so strongly to a control/comparison question, it wouldn't hurt to have a personally embarrassing but innocuous explanation to offer, for example, "When you asked whether I had ever lied to a loved one before, I suddenly remembered..."

Thanks George!

In LBTLD it said if asked why a certain relevant questions is bothering you to act confused and then give a pre planned explanation. Is it more common to be asked what is bothering you about a relevant question opposed to a control question? If asked about what is bothering you about a control question that you used countermeasures on do you also just give a pre planned explanation like you would to a relevant?

anom wrote on Oct 27^th, 2007 at 1:28am:


The tongue-biting technique mentioned in The Lie Behind the Lie Detector was described in a research study. There may be viable alternate approaches (a possible example being to press the tongue against the sharp end of a toothpick broken off between the teeth), but we make no recommendation regarding such.

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It may well be possible to react too strongly to a control question. I understand there is a maxim among polygraphers that "if a reaction looks too good to be true, it probably is." That's a vague and amorphous criterion, however. The fact remains that no polygrapher has ever demonstrated any ability to reliably detect the kinds of countermeasures described in TLBTLD. Anxiety associated with anticipation of performing countermeasures seems unlikely to produce "too much" of an increase.

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Not necessarily. Don't assume that because a question is prefaced with "Besides what you have told me..." that it is a control question. A relevant question could also be so prefaced, for example, "Besides what you told me, did you ever use an illegal drug?" To recognize control questions, one needs to understand the rationale for them (simplistic as it may be).

Hi,

I read LBTLD and have some questions. 

1. For the countermeasure tongue bite....Is there a certain way to do it other then do it for 8-20 seconds? After a control question do you slowly bite down on your tongue increasing in pressure to cause moderate pain hold it there for a few seconds and then slowly release the pressure before the next question is asked? 

2. Naturally, blood pressure and nervousness should increase on the control questions because you know you are about to do a countermeasure like the tongue bite and even though the polygrapher may not notice, the fact that you are being watched should cause an increase in blood pressure and nervousness. Will that cause too much of an increase? However,  by doing a countermeasure on the stim test for the number picked this might actually convince the polygrapher that you really are a "screamer".

3.  Last time, after making small admissions on the pre test the polygrapher would then begin the question with "Besides what you have told me........." and then would select a few of those from the pre test and would ask that on the actual test. Are those control questions?