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Consider a DNA test to establish paternity. When was the last time such a test indicated that 11 guys could be the father of a single child?
Likewise, someone can't go into a medical setting and convince a doctor that they are negative for hepatitis by squeezing their anal sphincter at the appropriate times during a blood test.
The difference? Most medical tests are infinitely more reliable than polygraphy.
And speaking of bad analogies...
Quote:
I appreciate your time and concern. God bless those 3000 families. (You may have affected more people (3000) than died 9/11/01 - God bless all those families as well).
I'm obviously no fan of polygraphy, but to even hint that the damage wrought by Doug Williams during his career as a polygrapher was even remotely comparable to 9/11 seems beyond the pale.
Posted by: Marty Posted on: Oct 3rd, 2003 at 3:11am
Marty: Come now. I know of no polygraphist that was trained to make clients "lie". This is shameful and a coverall to make much of your points. If a client "lies" to an examiner is it the examiners fault? NO. If results are scewed because of purposeful deception is it the examiners fault? NO. Also, is it not the job of the examiner to perform a proper examination, explain everything as it will happen, and if a person feels compelled to express a confession of guilt or innocence, is that not up to the client? YES.
Please, allow people to be there own person for once. Own up to their actions. Society in America seems to really be dragging people to new lows. Why is it no one admits to anything anymore. (I wasn't speeding / They yelled first / Get my attorney).
Mr. Larussa is on target, just not fully developed in his expressions.
Johannes Leachwin,
It may seem non-intuitive, but it is indisputable FACT that in a PLCQT poly, a polygrapher anticipates and hopes the examinee will lie on the controls in order to get an accurate and distinct reading from the relevants to determine if the examinee is truthful on them. I suggest you get a book or two written by and for polygraphers themselves if you find the numerous links here to outside sources not credible. Once you understand what and why they do this it will make much more sense. I have done so. What they do is well documented but unless YOU are a polygrapher they are certainly not going to tell you. Perhaps you should take some responsibility yourself (I quite agree with your general points about that) and do a bit of research.
[added] A couple of other points. R/I polys (a very old type of poly which most polygraphers consider to be inferior) does not ask the examiner to use this deception on the controls - since there are no controls per se. Also the GKT (CIT), widely used forensically in Japan, also does not require this deception on the part of the examiner. Further, it has the best scientific basis but the GKT is not applicable to screening. However, the PLCQT is by far the most common screening type polygraph used.
BTW, the "Client" usually refers to the entity for whom the polygraph is done. I assume from context you really meant the examinee.
-Marty
Posted by: Johannes Leachwin Posted on: Oct 3rd, 2003 at 2:51am
Come now. I know of no polygraphist that was trained to make clients "lie". This is shameful and a coverall to make much of your points. If a client "lies" to an examiner is it the examiners fault? NO. If results are scewed because of purposeful deception is it the examiners fault? NO. Also, is it not the job of the examiner to perform a proper examination, explain everything as it will happen, and if a person feels compelled to express a confession of guilt or innocence, is that not up to the client? YES.
Please, allow people to be there own person for once. Own up to their actions. Society in America seems to really be dragging people to new lows. Why is it no one admits to anything anymore. (I wasn't speeding / They yelled first / Get my attorney).
Mr. Larussa is on target, just not fully developed in his expressions.
Posted by: Marty Posted on: Oct 1st, 2003 at 4:11am
It would seem that Mr. Larussa has many of you jumping to respond... interesting how each so far has only stated typical rhetoric as usual.
Mr. Larussa never claimed that polygraphers are doctors... simply making an analogy is not wrong.
Of course it's not wrong. My estimate of Mr. Larussa's post is that he was not a polygrapher and had no real understanding that a polygrapher's job is to get you to lie on the controls. Do you think pointing that out to him is out of school? I wasn't criticising him for not knowing that since the polygraph community tries to limit public awareness of this. That is hardly empty rhetoric.
-Marty
Posted by: Johannes Leachwin Posted on: Oct 1st, 2003 at 2:40am
It would seem that Mr. Larussa has many of you jumping to respond... interesting how each so far has only stated typical rhetoric as usual.
Mr. Larussa never claimed that polygraphers are doctors... simply making an analogy is not wrong. Get with the program gents. Read what he is saying instead of literal words. Use your brain (which seems a little stale at this point). And to make a point, nurses, and even high school gym teachers can take someones pulse, get an accurate blood pressure reading etc. These tasks are menial and need not require years of training. Even you gents may have at one time administered exams with accurate physiological readings such as blood pressure, rate, pneumo, and G.S.R. It's not rocket science... at least admit that! If you don't agree with reading results that is another issue.
It would be a pleasure to see if anyone makes a true case against the polygraph without the typical "they trick you" stuff. Unfortunately not everything is foolproof... I present Oranthal James Simpson as an example. Please, be realistic, reasonable, and scientific.
No one has actually answered the meat of Mr. Larussas message, as only Mr. Williams could. However, I do see his point regarding Mr. Williams' previous clients. If it were my child or my job affected, I would certainly pray to know the examiner was not comfortable with the findings - even if he was at the time. It's never to late for the truth!
Posted by: Marty Posted on: Sep 30th, 2003 at 11:42pm
Second, a doctor may have proven instuments for his/her particular line of work, however a polygrapher has an instuments proven not to work.
No. The polygraph has not been "proven" not to work. It's more correct to say that it hasn't been proven to work in CQT screenings due to inability to establish ground truth.
For that matter proving a negative is nearly always impossible. Even Miss Cleo hasn't been "proven" to not be psychic.
-Marty
Posted by: NVictim Posted on: Sep 30th, 2003 at 11:19pm
If a medical doctor advised you that based on medically proven instruments you have a serious condition would you believe them? or would you call them a "liar"?
Your comparision to the polygraph is way off base. Your example of a doctor with proven instruments is a complete opposite of the way a polygraph works. First of all, a doctor will have taken years of schooling and years of experience for his line of expertise. The polygrapher on the other hand only needs a high school education and a few weeks of schooling to be an expert in lies and human behavior. Second, a doctor may have proven instuments for his/her particular line of work, however a polygrapher has an instuments proven not to work.
So a better example would be to ask " If miss Cleo looked into her Crystal Ball and said she can see the future, will you believe her?"
Posted by: Mr. Truth Posted on: Sep 30th, 2003 at 8:44pm
Nice try A Larussa but you are absolutely clueless when it comes to the scientific validity of the poly.
Williams realized what a sham the poly really is regarding claims it can detect deception. People can and do change their way of thinking and beliefs all the time.
The fact that he has capitalized on his knowledge of the poly to turn a buck should not be cause for concern and attacks on his person. All the power to him to try and make a buck. It is the American way is it not. In his efforts he is also (from my stand point on the subject) doing good by exposing the poly for the joke it really is.
Posted by: Anthony Posted on: Sep 30th, 2003 at 8:23pm
As far as the polygraph being even remotely compared to ligitimate medical practice is entirely insane. Give us a break. You cannot make any rational comparison between the two. As far as criticizing Doug Williams, maybe you should give him credit for actually standing up and blowing the whistle about polygraphs. If he is making money from his book, great for him. He deserves it. You don't walk in his shoes, so his reason for doing what he does is of no significance. I for one am grateful for what he is doing and wish both him and George the very best. I think it is an absolute shame that more polygraphists don't come clean about the asininity behind the polygraph.
Posted by: Marty Posted on: Sep 30th, 2003 at 7:50pm
I recently wrote a message to Doug Williams and had no response... it really goes for others against polygraph testing as well.
The authors of this site antipolygraph.org and sites like polygraph.com are, in a sense, extremists. They have chosen a new path by authoring these sites with indifference to the past beliefs.
If a medical doctor advised you that based on medically proven instruments you have a serious condition would you believe them? or would you call them a "liar"?
Anthony,
The polygraph is unlike real medical tests in that it, as commonly used, requires that the examinee be decieved by the polygrapher. Obviously, polygraphers don't advertise this fact but it is easy to verify outside of this site. Real medcal tests don't even advise the subject be ignorant about how the test works.
There are variations of the polygraph test where the examiner deception is minimal and there is more science behind it, such as the so called GKT test. Sadly, it is rarely used, at least in this country.
-Marty
Posted by: ALarussa Posted on: Sep 30th, 2003 at 6:48pm
I recently wrote a message to Doug Williams and had no response... it really goes for others against polygraph testing as well.
The authors of this site antipolygraph.org and sites like polygraph.com are, in a sense, extremists. They have chosen a new path by authoring these sites with indifference to the past beliefs.
If a medical doctor advised you that based on medically proven instruments you have a serious condition would you believe them? or would you call them a "liar"?
If you went in for an exam and wanted to get the most accurate results could, would you modify your breathing, squeeze your muscles, stand, sit, burp, or pause, or anything else to alter results that could be important to your health? I doubt it. Could you? I doubt it. Even if you tried, it would be obvious, or not relevent to the results. ================= Here is the message sent to Doug Williams...
Hello Sir:
Thanks for taking the time to read me email.
I would like to start by telling you I am NOT a polygrapher nor was I stung by one.
My question for you is how you completely alienated the polygraph machine so abruptly. I'm not asking why. But how. What became of all the persons potentially three-thousand (3000) of them - whom you polygraphed? What about the ones YOU called liars?
Did you approach these persons jobs, go back to the courts, confront people families to tell them they may not be "liars" after all?
After all, three-thousand is a lot of grief you may have caused in the world for something you don't believe in.
I have looked at your site and see you sitting on your nice Harley-Davidson in front of a nice house... is this from money from selling books? If you have all this time to write books and do TV news spots against the poltgraph, how is it you may not be finding the time to remedy YOUR untrustworthy polygraph results for your 3000 exams conducted?
I actually do not expect an answer. I'm sure you and your maker have some serious discussions to figure out your destination...
Catch-22...
The maker uses a polygraph from an examiner who believes in scientific results (the same types of results that medical doctors use everyday to save lives).
The maker read a book from someone who potentially called 3000 people a liar (and told them to hold their breath and squeeze there sphincter).
I appreciate your time and concern. God bless those 3000 families. (You may have affected more people (3000) than died 9/11/01 - God bless all those families as well).