garden,

I think it is not wise to attempt to solve your marital problems with a pseudoscientific polygraph "test." Passing will not necessarily allay your husband's suspicions (especially if he decides to research polygraphy as you have and discovers that it's a fraud). On the other hand, if your polygrapher accuses you of deception, your husband will likely feel that his suspicions have been validated.

If you nonetheless feel compelled to go ahead with this folly, then I suspect you'll face some variation of the "Control" Question "Test" (most likely a Zone Comparison "Test" or a Modified General Question "Test"). I cannot know what the relevant questions will be, or what the "control" questions will be, but I suspect the former would be concerned with adultery while the latter would be concerned with less serious matters, and that some "control" questions might be "time-barred" to eliminate from their scope events after your marriage. For example, one probable-lie "control" question that could be used is, "Before [year you met your husband], did you ever betray the trust of a loved one?"

To be able to differentiate between relevant and "control" questions, you need to understand their purpose. For this, I suggest that you read and re-read Chapter 3 of The Lie Behind the Lie Detector, and for further reading on "control" questions, see Chapter 8 of the 2nd edition of David T. Lykken's book, A Tremor in the Blood: Uses and Abuses of the Lie Detector.

garden wrote on Feb 5^th, 2002 at 5:03pm:


In order for the polygraph chart to be 'scoreable', the polygraph interrogator must have a basis for comparison, thus certain questions (control or comparison questions) will be asked in conjunction with relavent questions, i.e., questions concerning the immediate topic at hand. Again, reviewing The Lie Behind The Lie Detector will show you that the former cover a far-reaching span of time, and be nebulous enough so that *anyone* would have doubts about being completely truthful when answering. The latter will be point specific (did you have sex with that man?)

Quote:


A suggestion. Print out the book in its entirety. Put it in a three ring binder. Drop it in his lap, and tell him words to the effect that while you have been honest with him, his illogical insistence that your honesty and the value of your marriage be judged by a non-scientific FRAUD leaves you with no alternative but to ensure that you pass by employing the countermeasures as described in the book. Then forbid further discussion until he reads the book. Proving a negative is impossible, and is made doubly so when faced with the rude, invasive interrogation you're certain to undergo.

If it were me, I'd pack my bags.

garden wrote on Feb 5^th, 2002 at 5:03pm:


Two previous self-imposed deadlines have lapsed, so I'm hesitant to predict a date. It remains in progress.