I just took a polygraph, and was as honest as possible, and I was not confronted.  After the second pass of the same 10 questions I was told it went ok, and he would pass on the results to the PD.  Does this mean I pass?  It is my understanding that he would confront me with any problems he saw.  Is this correct?  Thanks for the awesome info on this site!

Batman,

I don't think it necessary to look for a nefarious explanation for Jacko's wording when using the phrase "as honest as possible."  The intentionally vague and general nature of CQT polygraph exam control questions leading an examiner to have an examinee "search his conscience" for any acts which might match control areas will naturally lead to this sort of thing.  Any uncertainty about the completion of that process (the very questionable but frequently cited basis for the use of these questions) will almost certainly lead to the mindset if not the specific wording used by Jacko.  If you are going to engage in gamesmanship, don't be surprised when the language of those around you reflects it. 

Batman,

Unless you're suggesting the polygrapher conducting Jacko's exam was incompetent, then according to (your) polygraph theory (of probable-lie CQT exams), he (Jacko) should not have known which questions were relevant and which were control.  If this were not the case there would be no basis for current scoring systems (apples would be being compared with oranges) and the test would be even more easily countermeasured than I and others have suggested in the past.  If the relevant and control questions are indistinguishable to the examinee, then it would be quite unlikely that he was referring to relevant questions exclusively, and in fact, more plausible if not probable that his comment was triggered by the intentionally vague-in-nature control/comparison questions.

Batman,

Well, let me be the first to congratulate you on your official status within the antipolygraph.org (I assume this is what you mean rather than the different and questionable antipolygraph.com domain, yes?) community.  My position (that you inquire regarding the foundation of) is not an argument based on authority (although I suspect my credentials would hold up quite well in this exchange), but is based on what I believe to be the logic of the situation and the limited number of possible scenarios related to Jacko's appreciation of control and relevant questions during and following his exam.  Again, assuming we are talking about a probable-lie control question test, if prevailing industry theory is correct with regard to underlying principles and, if the exam was conducted properly (again, according to accepted practices), Jacko should not have recognized which questions were relevant and which were control/comparison questions.  If this is not the case, one would have to postulate incompetence on the part of the examiner or a serious deficit in polygraph theory which does not take into account the obvious transparency between control and relevant questions and the obvious implications for chart scoring, etc. of such a shortcoming. I don’t believe you have the evidence to conclude the former and it would appear to be quite unlike you to admit the latter.  So again, if Jacko could and did exclusively focus on relevant questions/areas then only one of the two latter scenarios is possible.  If you see a flaw in this reasoning, please explain.  I assume that if you say that you have 19 plus years of polygraph experience that you have 19 plus years of polygraph experience, but this now accepted statistic is irrelevant to the logic of that which we discuss.

Anonymous,

That is one big mouthful for simply wanting to say you believe Jacko was referring to the comparison (control) questions as compared to my stance.  Regardless, only he really knows.

I have been in the Law Enforcement profession since 1978, and have been a polygraph examiner since 1984 (so I have just hit my 19th year in that speciality).  Courious as to a little hint regarding your credentials.   

Batman

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Ouchie.... a small flying mammal just got swatted with a tennis racket... nice backhand anonymous