Congrats Nate!!
As a retired police officer I can tell you that you have chosen a fine profession. As you go on in your career, you will meet all kinds of characters wearing the same uniform as you.  You will ask yourself more than once "how did he/she ever get on the job?"  And you will find yourself defending the Police Department.  All those people who really were not speeding, and they got the ticket only because the "cop" didn't like them.  and everybody knows that all cops are donut eating crroks right!
aYou only aressted me because Im black, white, asian, jewish , catholic, irish, polish. You get the drift.  And as you do your best to do your job in a professional, honest lawful way, you pick up the paper and read all about how crooked and bias cops are. You will shake your head in disbelief and think "Gee none of the cops that I know are like that"  Because the good hang out with the good.  And while it bothers you to hear all of the negative, degrading comments all you can do is hold your head high and continue to do your job in the best way.  The people making these comments include you along with the rest, they paint with a very broad brush, there are no exceptions.  All cops pick on them, they do not deserve to be arrested, everybody else get away with it.  Please write and let me know if I was right or wrong after you get some time in the street.  I am sure that you get the point that I am making.  Good luck in the academy and when you are dealing with people, remember how you felt when you were falsely accused.
EMPATHY will get you a long way, make your own decisions remember 99.5% of people are great,unfortunately the other 1/2% can make your life miserable.  I think a lot of them post messages on this forum.  Again good luck, knock them dead!

Ray L.

Ray, thank you for your honest response.  You basically said that the polygraph can and does be used for the wrong reasons and does make mistakes. You wished me luck but you don't have too because I passed my last polygraph with a different police department so I'm starting the police academy in July.  I think your train of thought and logic is wonderful but as a polygraph examiner believing that you are so accurate in your results, how can "prejudge" someone when they have negative results on polygraph exam.  If you truly believe that your polygraph machine works then you must be biased when the subject tests for failing the polygraph.  I would suspect this is the case in almost all polygraph examiners.  In the exams I passed, instinct told me that the examiner believed me before I even took the exam.  On the one false positive I felt as thought he did not believe me before the exam.  I failed and he never questioned me once and I never had a re-test or questioning or anything, just a handshake and a "I hope you passed" statement.  Your reality sir, is not the same for everyone 

Nate,
I do not know what happened with your tests.  I( am truly sorry that you had to endure such an experience. I do not know the qualifications of the polygraphists who tested you.  I do know that mistakes can be made by anyone in any profession.  Fingerprint experts, medical doctors, eye witnesses, DNA experts are not 100% perfect. I realize that this is little consolation to a person such as you who has been wrongfully accused and again I am sorry. We live in an imperfect world and I wish that this was not the case, however until something better comes along I, for one, have complete faith in the polygraph and in my abilities to conduct fair, impartial exams.  I was taught by Richard O. Arther, who is without question one of the most honorable men ever born.  His students are taught to NEVER prejudge, if the slightest question arises as to the results - Re-test, always put your self in the subjects place. If for any reason you feel that you cannot be fair, DO NOT do that test.  I hope that things work out for you.
Ray L.   

Ray, what do you when you tried telling the truth but you are branded a liar?  You pass one test telling the truth, then a year later fail another one with the exact same answers, then pass a third?  Real accurate results huh?  The polygraph is not about telling the truth.  It's about a procedure used to weed people out.  Although I never used countermeasures, I understand 100% why people would use them, to take control of something that is currently in control by chance accuracy.  After my second false positive I still don't know how I could have kept myself from using counter-measures.

  To Need Help,
Sneeze or Squeeze,Wiggle or Giggle, Pray or Play Wink or Blink,Puck or Suck,Sh-t or go Blind, Breath,Don't Breath.  Wouldn't it be easier to simply tell the truth.  As you know a liar needs a good memory, while the truth is a natural response. Try it, you will like it!

Good Luck, 

Ray L.

Quote:


No.  When the polygrapher bluffs that he sees that you are attempting to beat the polygraph, do not change your plans or start doing anything differently.  Especially with your breathing.  If your breathing pattern suddenly changes after the polygrapher warns you to stop "trying to beat the machine," you are basically making a tacit admission that you are using countermeausres.

Need Help:  I, like George, would be interested in a detailed description of exactly how you employed your breathing countermeasures before I could comment further.

When I took my test, he also told me to breath normal when I was countermeasuring. I just kept on with my plan. I think thats just another trick to see if you really are countermeasuring. He only asked me once or twice then stopped. At least I knew I was making a reaction. I feel that I did good, but haven't got my results in. Did you stop countermeasuring after he told you this?

Need Help,

I am aware of no published (or unpublished) research on whether tongue-biting or contraction of the anal sphincter muscle produces better results. Both techniques, applied as described in Chapter 4 of The Lie Behind the Lie Detector will produce significant physiological responses. If you are concerned about the possibility of a sensor being hidden in the cushion of the polygraph chair, then you might choose to use either the tongue bite or mental countermeasures instead. Research by Dr. Charles R. Honts (see the bibliography of The Lie Behind the Lie Detector for citation) suggests that both tongue-biting and mental countermeasures are equally effective.

Before I comment on breathing, could you describe in detail the technique you applied, and your polygrapher's response?

Do you get better results with biting the tongue or squeezing the anal muscle ? Also I was tested and I tried to use the breathing technique and the polygrapher right away noticed it and told me to quit, is there a better way to disguise the use of breathing countermeasures, and which technique is reccommended ? Thanks...