You jest, but people are proposing/doing this now:

TX Lawmakers: Polygraph Syrian Refugees
http://www.ktrh.com/articles/houston-news-121300/tx-lawmakers-polygraph-syrian-r...

Syrian-American attorney talks about how refugees are checked after Paris attacks
http://www.wkow.com/story/30532919/2015/11/16/syrian-american-attorney-talks-abo...

I suggest they use phrenology

Quote:

palerider wrote on May 16^th, 2007 at 5:17am:


Hey Moron,
Why arent you in Iraq? Tip: Set up shop and test all the Sunni's and Shiite's that you professed to know so much about - test them all to see who is anti-american and be sure to tell them you know that they're
lying, BS'ng camel jockeys. 

Newsflash - you are the bag.

oh golly gee

he passed his poly and now he'd scarred for life;  there, there, you poor baby;  everything'll be alright.  I notice your "trauma" didn't affect your ability to think about getting a lawyer.

Jesus H Christ, what a poor soul. So you sat down in a weird chair, was asked questions for an hour or better, hooked up to some harmless wires, and told that you were truthful----or, were you NOT told that you were truthfull? Your writing seems a little "off" man. I don't abuse anyone that I test, and I'll take a polygraph over a (recent) root canal any day. My god, the anti-guys here are even coddling you like a crippled newborn. George, we have guys getting torn to shreds in Iraq and you're cradling this mope over a passed test? Are you serious? I thought that this site had a bag.

Well I've read the artical "The CQT Polygrapher's Dilemma: Logico-Ethical Considerations for Psychophysiological Practitioners and Researchers" and it appears to me that there is a serious lacking in the full effects that taking a polygraph has on a person.  Not only can there be sever social effects but they appear to note that it is a very psycological test w/o any concern for mental health.  I am now also on page 90 of TLBTLD and looking at the information about the "Stim Test".  Honestly I now believe that my polygraph examiner was using a stacked deck as he WOULD NOT allow me to pick any card, he only allowed me to pick one of the top 10 cards on the deck(yes I counted how many he spread, when I tried to get the 11th card he told me to stop messing around and pushed it back).  I am even more certain of this because he would not even shuffle the deck of cards either, some crappy mind trick...  It isn't even really an art after reading as much as I have already, it's just a personal assualt on one's wellbeing to get them to throw out some sort of confession.  Despicable I say.

The article to which Dr. Richardson refers may be downloaded as a Microsoft Word Document here:

http://psych.utoronto.ca/~furedy/Papers/ld/CQT%20Polygraphers%27%20Dilemma.doc

Whatthe,

You might care to read "The CQT Polygrapher's Dilemma: Logico-Ethical Considerations for Psychophysiological Practitioners and Researchers," a paper published in the 1993 by the International Journal of Psychophysiology.  It describes the negative emotional consequences for an innocent examinee who undergoes a polygraph examination and is ultimately deemed to be truthful.

I thank you both for your replies and support.  I have just installed the required software to read the book and will be doing that shortly since I can't sleep, heck I can hardly even eat after this crap.

In reply to George W. Maschke I have to ask, why if the polygraph is designed to be so emmotionaly intense why was it never tested(too your knowledge) to see if it was psychologicaly safe to admister to innocent people?  My test cleared me and yet I am so deeply disturbed by the situation it was administered in that I can hardly do anything anymore, even sleeping or eating.  If the goverment is concerned about the safety of citizens why not see if it is a safe process to use?  Should I be seeking legal council and/or a laywer and sue for damages to my mental health due to the criminal negligence of those responcible for allowing this kind of torture?

In reply to EosJupiter I would love to give it time to settle down but I don't know if I even have that much time, the feelings are just too intense, I do not think I can stand it much longer, it is driving me completely out of my mind, and yes the whole process is completly evil.

Of course, any other assistance or help is greatly appreciated, that and any other facts on trauma caused by this 'thing' the detectives called science.

whatthe wrote on May 13^th, 2007 at 4:19am:



whatthe,

By all means if you feel that professional help is neccessary, then trust your instincts. But I would suggest that you give the feelings and emotions a slight bit of time to settle down. Then seek professional care, if your still having the intense emotional episodes. And it is never a bad thing to ask for help !! But turn this around, and now you have the experience to spread the word on the evil that is the polygraph. I turned my anger and emotions into my position against the polygraph. And now do what ever, when ever I can,  to do in this pseudo-science and its voodoo practitioners. Much good luck to you.

Regards ....

To the best of my knowledge, there are no scientific studies of any kind on the psychological aftereffects of polygraphic interrogation. This topic is apparently of little interest or concern to the polygraph community.

I would second EosJupiter's suggestion that you educate yourself about polygraphy, and The Lie Behind the Lie Detector would indeed be a good place to start. Understanding the polygraph process may help to mitigate the depression and anxiety you've been feeling.

And for more general information about police interrogation tactics, I recommend Julia Layton's article, "How Police Interrogation Works" on HowStuffWorks.com.

Thank you, although my biggest problem is the symptoms I experinced while I was there never left, in fact they are getting much worse, I would rather die then be subjected to that BS again.  Something really needs to be done about this, sooner rather than later.  No one should have to be subjected to such mental abuse ever.  I understand why they do it, it does help get some guilty people to confess but the inoccent people hurt by it should never have had to go thru it.  I'm actual planning on seeing a psychatrist because of this, the feelings just won't go away...

whatthe,

As you experienced, the polygraph suite is designed to remove outside interference and remove any support to/for the examinee. This is done because to isolate you makes you more willing to spill your guts to the polygrapher. The stress you felt is designed into the examination so that the polygrapher can get his "Fight or Flight Response" to an acceptable level. The chair is also meant to be workable but not comfortable, and adds to the stress level you were designed to feel. The polygraph only works with 3 things in place.

1. Examinee must have fear and anxiety, heightened by isolation and the BS pretest song &    
   dance.
2. Examinee must believe that the machine really can detect deception. This is done by the 
   pretest verbage of the polygrapher and the acquantance test. The polygrapher must have 
   a certain level of report with the examinee in order to make the voodoo work. 
3. Examinee must have a consequence if he fails the exam. One being you will in this tight little room for quite some time enduring this electric rubber hose treatment.

Bottomline is everyone reacts differently to the experience, your just having a tougher reaction than most. It should make your blood boil that you had to be subjected to such a bogus process as a polygraph, just to prove your veracity. You should read, "The Lie Behind the Lie Detector", and understand and analyze your experience. I think you will be alot less upset once you understand the ruse you were subjected too.

Much success to you.


Regards ....

I recently was asked to take a polygraph examination to clear my name, and did just that.  However after passing the exam I am now experiencing depression, anticipation and extreme anxity over everything.  While I was in the room after the first round of questions the room literaly felt like it was closing in on me(couldn't have been bigger than an 8x10 room) and the barbaric chair I had to set in seemed like something from a horror film.  When I took the exam I remember I had to sign a waiver but I do not remember the waiver mentioning any possible physical or mental side effects or risks of the machine even though they had to ask medical questions to see if I was 'fit' for it.  Does anyone here know if there have ever been any studies done to see if there are physical/mental health risks or temporary side effects involved in taking a polygraph in a criminal case/investigation?  The whole process has been increadibly stressful for me, any ideas on what I should do now?