tell me does it sound like he is describing polygraph to you too?

From: webmaster
Category: VSA Operator
Date: 17 Aug 2001
Time: 16:26:44


Comments
It appears that you are simply repeating what this web site so clearly shows. There is no accuracy in voice stress analysis. The machine can only detect "stress" in the voice (even that is subject to question) and can not differentiate between deception and truth. The only way to tell is for an interrogator to try an obtain a confession. If he gets it...the machine was right. If he doesn't get the confession, then who knows. In other words its an interrogation aid not a lie or truth detector.

Mr. Webb,

I thank you for your very informative responce, my email is wannabe99@ziplip.com
please feel free to send any and all relavent material that you feel scientifically proves that polygraph is more reliable than chance.

respectfully
wannabe99@ziplip.com

I will be happy to provide you with a number of research papers, both lab and field studies, that clearly provide proof that the polygraph has been shown do be far more accurate at detecting deception than voice stress. More importantly,the research will show that the polygraph has the capability to detect truth, 
unlike the chance probability shown for voice stress. 

Our detractors claim that inconclusive tests should count as errors! Errors are sometimes made in polygraph decisions just as they are in many other tests that we depend upon every day. Everything from PSAs and mamograms to stress thalium tests have both false positives and negatives. Should we discontinue their use until they achieve 100% accuracy? I hope not for the sake of the people who are often saved by their use. We use the best that our present technology has to offer and strive to make it more accurate. Polygraph is doing that.

Please provide me an e-mail address, and I will be happy to provide you with a number of research papers, both lab and field studies, that clearly provide proof that the polygraph has been shown do be far more accurate at detecting deception than voice stress. More importantly, the research will show that the polygraph has the capability to detect truth, unlike the chance probability shown for voice stress. Voice stress likes to tout that it has no inconclusives and makes a big deal of polygraph's inconclusive rate. You should understand that all tests should have an inconclusive rate to provide greater accuracy on the calls that are made. If one looked at fingerprints and took 100 cases in which fingerprints were found at a crime scene and assuming that in 20 of those instances, the prints collected did not provide sufficient criteria upon which to make an identification of the suspect, then even if the other 80 cases were correctly identified, the accuracy rate, including the 20 "inconclusive" cases would be 80 per cent. Obviously most forensic sciences are not held to this standard. Only the cases in which fully identifiable prints were collected would be considered and the accuracy would be listed as 100% . Polygraph does not enjoy this lienancy. Our detractors claim that inconclusive tests should count as errors! Errors are sometimes made in polygraph decisions just as they are in many other tests that we depend upon every day. Everything from PSAs and mamograms to stress thalium tests have both false positives and negatives. Should we discontinue their use until they achieve 100% accuracy? I hope not for the sake of the people who are often saved by their use. We use the best that our present technology has to offer and strive to make it more accurate. Polygraph is doing that. However, voice stress has not been shown to have any accuracy beyond chance and is clearly being used solely for it's value as an interrogational prop. Even the sellers of this device warn its users to refrain from portraying it as other than "an investigative tool" and to keep it out of court at all costs. You are certainly entitled to your opinion of polygraph but you should form that opinion after reading the literature available and after evaluating the research. Unfortunately many people form their opinion after failing a test because they did not provide truthful answers during a polygraph test and failed the examination. That's a bit like cursing the rock that stubbed your toe.

will be very surprised if this post actually makes it to the forum without being popped by the administrator. That said.... to quote from this home page: "Are confessions the same as validity? Hardly. For years cops used to get confessions from suspects with all kinds of lie detector ruses, like wiring a naïve suspect to a photocopier, or using the old Motorola radio in their squad cars that could change a red light to green when the mike button was pressed. And, a phony ploy works only so long before people catch on. Just how accurate are voice stress analyzers? Let’s set aside for the moment what their salesmen have to say, and look at what the scientists have reported." Although I have as little faith in CVSA as I do polygraph, I would love to see "scientific proof" that the polygraph is any more reliable than the CVSA. A copy of this post will be posted on other boards. Mr. Webb, lets be honest, after all truth is what we're after right?

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