wrona247,
See Chapter 11 of David T. Lykken's book,
A Tremor in the Blood: Uses and Abuses of the Lie Detector (2nd ed., Plenum Trade, 1998) and the sources cited there. Here's an excerpt:
Quote:
...The CVSA is a modified "notebook" computer with a microphone attachment, and the microtremor content of the subject's spoken answers is displayed directly on the computer screen. When asked about validity studies of the CVSA, Dr. Charles Humble, executive director of NITV [which manufactures and markets the CVSA], replied:
Insofar as "research" that has been conducted on the CVSA, we decided very early on not to follow in the same footsteps as the polygraph only to find ourselves in the same position the polygraph finds itself in today. The CVSA is sold as an investigative tool and nothing more. Our students are taught that it is not to be used in court, to obtain warrants, or to in any way persecute anyone. The system was designed to identify innocent individuals and help remove them as suspects. All of our instructors teach that if a person is not able to "pass" the exam, it simply means that they are not eliminated as suspects--period.
I interpret this statement as meaning that CVSA users are encouraged to use the device as an interrogation tool for eliciting confessions...rather than as a test per se....
Chapter 7 of the CVSA manual with which CVSA examiners are trained is on pre-employment screening. It states (at p. 115 of the 1997 edition) "...an applicant will not be hired or not hired based exclusively on the VSA results."
Also, before your CVSA "test, " the examiner will shove a waiver form under your nose. At p. 116 the same manual states:
Quote:
2. Release form: Always make sure that a release form is secured (this not only protects the department, but gives the examiner a psychological edge - use it).
Before signing it, perhaps you should strike out the line(s) by which you agree to hold "forever harmless" the charlatan who's giving you the "test" (and those who employ him). In this regard, you might wish to consult with a lawyer familiar with labor law in the state in which you are applying for employment.