xpmachina,

First, because you are under investigation in a criminal case, I think you should refuse the polygraph "test" and seek legal counsel. It may be embarrassing to refuse now after you originally promised the DA to go through with the "test," but you can explain that you've learned that the "test" is a fraud (and it is).

The polygrapher's claim that this little card game allows him to "adjust" the machine to your response is a lie. What you described is called an acquaintance test or a stimulation (or "stim") test. The whole purpose of this little game is to attempt to convince the subject that the polygraph can actually detect lies. For more about the stim test, see Chapter 3 of The Lie Behind the Lie Detector.

Now, there is indeed a polygraph technique that has no probable-lie or directed-lie "control" questions. It's called the Peak of Tension Test (POT), or Guilty Knowledge Test (GKT) (or, alternatively, the Concealed Information Test). One Asian country where this technique is more widely used than in the United States is Japan.

Although this technique has a sounder theoretical foundation than the "Control" Question "Test," (CQT) its validity has yet to be established by peer-reviewed research conducted under field conditions. This technique is discussed briefly in Chapter 3 of The Lie Behind the Lie Detector:

Quote:


The Guilty Knowledge Test, however, like the "Control" Question "Test," can be countermeasured by creating responses to one or more of the non-key items.

Again, my advice to you would be to refuse to submit to any polygraph test and to get a lawyer.

xpmachina,

I suspect that the DA will be displeased with your refusal to submit to a polygraph interrogation. I doubt, however, that a judge will force you to submit. In the United States, it is impermissible for a judge to order a suspect in a criminal case t submit to a polygraph interrogation. However, in your country, the law may be different, so it would be best to check with a lawyer.

If pictures and/or key details of the crime scene were made public, this could indeed make use of the GKT format unfeasible. And if the police indeed tried to set you up, that would be additional strong reason for you not to submit to a polygraph "test," because polygraph "tests" can be rigged by the polygrapher to produce the desired result.

Again, I strongly suggest that you seek the advice of a criminal defense attorney.

Thank you for your advices.

I will get a lawyer Monday, and follow your advices. 

Dear All, 

Thank you for your advices. After discussing with serveral local lawyers, the result is that I still have to go to submit a poly test. It's because the law of the country. Now my poly test will be held next monday, and I have read "The Lie Behind the Lie Detector". Here is what the lawers have told me about the poly test here.

1, The stim test

The polygrapher shows you 5 cards with 1 to 5 on the cards. Then you pick one card, and show the card to him. After that, he will show you the cards from 1 to 5, and ask "Did you pick a #"?  And you will be forced to say "no" for every card. Then he will record the reponds from you for the card you have just picked.

2, Poly Test

The polygrapher will ask your name, age and so on, and record the responds, then he will start to ask you REVELANT QUESTIONS. There will be NO CONTROL QUESTIONS!!!!! So what countermeasures should I use to pass the poly test? 

Actually, I have ordered an basic polygraph machine(electrical devcie) to practice, and I know what they will ask me, but I still feel nervous about the test. What should I do? Can I still use the anal pucker or breathing countermeasures?

Thank you all guys

Dear Geroge, 

Thank you for your advices. And I am still practicing the countermeasures. But I still have some questions about the Relevant/Irrelevant Question.

1. What is the pattern of revelant/irrevelant question set? Is there any control question? 

2. Since I have to strengthen my responds, what is the the timing I should use? You have mentioned that I have to produce differnet readings when in the different series of revelant quetions, but I still can't get it. I mean, the only thing he knows my reponds of cheating is stim test, so I just act normal for every question?

3. I have already asked my lawyer to be with me next Monday, and he will be there with me of course. Thank you for your advice.

I am still a little nervous, and I will try to practice my breathing and anal pucker. Also I will think of things that might make me scared. Also I have some wounds in my feet, I will put tacs slightly on the wounds, and try to touch the wounds when i apply countermeasures, Can that enhance my responds to the polygraph?

Thank you very very much for those who help me alot in the website.

Dear Geroge, 

Thank you for your advice. After discussing with my laywer, he told me that the poly in this country is not so advanced, then if I can let myself as relaxed as possible, I might pass. But the reason why I can't use complete honesty policy is that I really don't know anything about that crimial case, but the policemen have assumed that I know everything!!!!! That's why they tried to set me up.

Still I want to use the countermeasures just because I am very easy to get nervous. After reading "The Lie Behind Lie Detector", I think I can tell relevant and irrelevant questions.

But what I want to know is that in revelant/irrevelant question test, what question should I strengthen my responds? Because they still judge you by the chart readings, in addtion to behavioral countermeasures, what kind of readings should I produce to polygrapher?

Thank you very much

xpmachina,

The "complete honesty" approach simply means letting the authorities know that you fully understand that polygraph "testing" is a fraud and that the whole exercise is pointless from the beginning. There may be some legal advantage to doing this (with your lawyer there as a witness).

If the police really believe that you are guilty or otherwise involved, then you run a risk of "failing" the "test" no matter what the polygraph charts look like.

Because of variations in the Relevant/Irrlevant technique (and I am still skeptical as to whether this is indeed the technique that you will encounter), and my lack of familiarity with polygraph techniques as practiced in your country, I really don't feel confident in advising you in this regard.

One factor that seems to be fairly constant in the Relevant/Irrelevant technique as practiced in the United States is that the polygrapher looks for a "consistent, specific, and significant" reaction to a relevant question, no matter how the question is worded and no matter in what order the question is asked. As I mentioned above, such a pattern can be avoided by augmenting one's reactions to a different relevant question during each polygraph chart (which will probably consist of about 10 questions, but could conceivably go on for 15, 25, or even 40 -- even though to my knowledge no polygraph school in the U.S. officially endorses the use of such long question series).

Sometimes, a form of "control" question is asked during a R/I "test." For example, the Keeler Polygraph Institute in Chicago teaches that the "test" should begin with an announcement like, "The test is about to begin." Although this is a statement, not a question, it serves as a sort of "control question" to the extent that the polygrapher expects he might see a reaction to it. A similar announcement is made at the end, "The test is ended" (or words to that effect). Thus, it might be advantageous to someone facing the Keeler R/I technique to create a reaction to the announcement of the beginning and ending of the "test." If one's reactions to the announcements are greater than one's reactions to any of the relevant questions, the polygrapher may be more inclined to decide that the subject is truthful.

Another technique called the General Question Test once taught by the U.S. Department of Defense Polygraph Institute uses "disguised control" questions. The "test" outwardly appears to consist of only relevant and irrelevant questions, but before any true relevant questions are asked, the polygrapher asks something similar to, "Do you intend to answer all questions truthfully?" and at the end the polygrapher asks "Did you lie to me in any way here today?" Reactions to the relevant questions are compared to reactions to these "disguised control" questions. So here, it would be advantageous to aument one's reactions to the "disguised control" questions.

Another technique that is sometimes used is that if the polygrapher sees no reactions to any relevant or irrelevant questions in a series, he will add a surprise probable-lie "control" question to the end of the series, to see if it produces a reaction. If it does, the polygrapher will be more likely to conclude that the examinee was truthful.

I can't predict what variation of the R/I technique you might encounter, and I wouldn't be surprised if you were to be given a regular probable-lie "control" question "test" or even a Guilty Knowledge Test instead .

Again, however you decide to handle this, I suggest you consult with your lawyer.