George,

Thanks for your helping me clear my confusion on this matter. So have the example control question you gave, I answer the expected answer and then employ a CM as described in TLBTLD? Thanks again in advance for your help.

CarRamRod,

It would be pretty stupid to deny behaviors you've admitted to in a pre-employment questionnaire (which, as Sergeant1107 noted, you should have completed truthfully). As noted in The Lie Behind the Lie Detector, one shouldn't try to categorize each question in such a questionnaire as relevant, irrelevant, or "control." Answers to questions on such forms are typically used to help the polygrapher in formulating control questions, and the questions asked in the polygraph suite may differ from those on the questionnaire.

Say you've admitted to having driven after drinking alcoholic beverages. If the polygrapher is going to use a probable-lie control question about this behavior, he'll press you for details about each instance on which you've driven while under the influence of alcohol and then ask a control question along the lines of "Other than what you told me, did you ever drive while under the influence of alcohol?" The expected answer is "No." At this point, it doesn't matter whether your answer to this control question is true or not. What matters (as far as passing this invalid test is concerned) is that your physiological responses to this control question need to be greater than your responses to the corresponding relevant question.

yes, i did fill out the answers on the BI packet truthfully.

my confusion lies in how to answer for example, the question regarding drunk driving. if the expected answer is "no", but i have done it and it reflects on my BI packet, i have to answer "yes". am i correct? 

basically from my understanding, you employ CMs when you answer untruthfully to a control question? ive read chapter 3 and 4 and im still somewhat confused. thanks for you help in advance..

Quote:

You should have filled out your background packet truthfully.  Your answers during all phases of the polygraph should correspond to your answers from the background packet.

George, 

I'm a bit confused still. I've read chapter 3 of TBTLDT mulitple times and I'm still having a bit of trouble with understanding how i am supposed to answer on the control questions. I

n an earlier response to this thread you posted that we are to answer with the expected answer whether or not is it true. So what you're telling me is even though I've listed on my background packet that I have driven drunk before, I should still answer no? 

Thanks for your help.

Understood. 

Thank you sir and allow me once again to express my appreciation for what you're doing. 

Respectfully-

J

One should give the expected answer to the control question. It doesn't matter whether it is true or not. For example, if the control question is, "Did you ever drive while under the influence of alcohol?" the expected answer is "no." If the control question is, "Are you a truly honest person?" the expected answer is "yes."

I am unclear on one of the (probably very simple) points in the countermeasure chapter of TLBTLD:

When applying a countermeasure during a control question, is the examinee supposed to give a true or false answer?  In other words, if the question is "Have you ever stolen anything" should one answer yes or no before applying the countermeasure?

Anyone know?

By the way, Mr. Maschke, I recently sent you a PM asking a similar question but decided to post it here as well.  Please disregard the PM and pardon the duplication of my question.

Regards all...