If I was this Ed Gelb and you George Challenged me to Verify my educational backround this is something I would gladly provide, regardless of how insignificant I believed your site to be.

No he just commited a felony by perjuring himself. No bad for the President of the United States.   You moron
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In fairness, I think the law is intended to prevent misleading a federal official into making a wrong decision regarding federal resources -- as it's written, it's not illegal to lie to a federal official about something unrelated to his or her job, or in some inconsequential way.

That does, of course, bring up an interesting point: if that's what the law was intended to do, then doesn't it follow that people should make every effort to ensure federal officials come to the correct decisions?  Isn't that an argument for the concealed use of countermeasures?

Skeptic

PROAc,

None of the the individuals named on the American Polygraph Association web page you referenced are current APA officers (as your post implies). Note that they are merely listed as the authors of publications available from the APA.

Guest

If I had PHD credentials, I would be so proud that I probably would post a copy on the nearest power pole. I certainly would present that skin to any and all who asked. Hell, I even try to do that with my BS (as in science) sheep skin. I damn near starved to death getting that first degree.

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Sorry for the delay. Partly to CMA; partly because I've been busy. This is a slightly cleaned-up version of my post-interrogation notes. If you have specific questions, I'll try to answer them as I can. I'd also appreciate any comments or clarifications of my own confusion. Thanks.

____________

The office is in an older building on the north side of Wilshire Blvd, 3rd floor (cost me almost 10 bucks for parking!). On the outer office doors, in big gold letters, is “Edward I. Gelb, PhD,” along with “Dee H----” There are marks where another name was removed.

Office was nondescript, clean; polite, middle-aged female receptionist in front. Gelb’s office door was closed and remained so the entire time (never saw him). The receptionist had me read a short paper about polygraphy, then wait. Took me into a cramped conference room with multiple cassette recorders (not being used) to fill out more paperwork—employment for 10 years, agencies applied to, drug use/purchase, vehicle citations/accidents. Then a 150-question test to be answered “+” or “–”: “Do you intend to be truthful? Have you ever paid for sex?” etc. (I believe these were the basis for poly questions.) Turned the forms in, then sat and waited in reception area. 

A formidable, early-forties man came out wearing a white shirt and tie, introduced himself as Darrin Hayes, and took me into his office. Looked like a detective.

On his wall:
Diploma from Backster, April 2002 (Darrin C. Hayes)
Two diplomas from The Reid Technique of Interviewing and Interrogation® (2001?) (see http://www.reid.com/)

Had me read and sign another form about poly that also stated, “CA state law says that an employer cannot legally force you to take a polygraph interview.” (But does that apply to law enforcement? I didn’t want to ask, so I signed it.) He told me to hang my jacket on the rack in the room, then left me for a while. I sat there looking bored, but I did look around for signs of surveillance equipment (like clocks with little lenses, for example), and spotted nothing. I noticed that there was a space heater on in the office, under his desk; the office was almost uncomfortably warm. When he returned, he told me a little (very little) about himself, mentioning that he’d “been doing this for 17 years.” (But he just got his diplomas recently?)

Asked if I knew anything about poly; I played dumb (mentioned “Meet the Parents,” Jerry Springer). He said “That’s Hollywood,” that with the new computer program (3 months old) from “John” Hopkins University, properly calibrated, they could get up to 98% accuracy. Went over all the questions, but what threw me was that they were all in the form of “Are you withholding information about…?” Which I wasn’t expecting, and which made it harder for me to decide which were controls.

He asked if I wanted to use restroom or get water; I asked for water. He left the room to get it; had me sit in the exam chair as he left. The chair had no visible wires, so I assumed no pressure sensors, facing a blank white wall. Sat there for a while, not moving. Hayes came back with water, left again. Came back, explained all the attachments to me, cautioned me that "part of the test is being able to follow instructions." Hooked me up. I kept my breathing even, but shallow.

Did a “calibration”: “Is your name XXXX? Do you live in California? Are you withholding any secret reason for applying to this agency? What’s x times y plus z?” (I puckered at this point.) He said he got a “very clean, crisp reading.” Then “The test is about to begin, do not move during the exam.” (Said this preceding both charts.)

What I remember:
“Is your first name XXXX?”
“Are you withholding information about having lied to anyone you love and trust?” 
“Are you withholding information about having lied to a family member?” 
“Are you withholding information about your reasons for seeking employment with this agency?” 
“Are you withholding information about having committed a serious crime?”
…past drug use?
…illegal sexual activity?

Finished the first chart, then said we’d do another one, with same questions in different order. Also that he might repeat questions, which he did (serious crimes). Announced end of test, unhooked me and had me sit in the chair beside his desk.

Post-test:
Told me that the “only cause for concern” was “Are you withholding information about having committed a serious crime?” He asked it twice in the second exam and said that I “reacted” more strongly each time (if it had been weaker, it wouldn’t have been a concern, he said). According to him, I had reacted "3 times higher" the last time he asked it than on the calibration question. He highlighted the score on the paper the printer spat out (not a chart, but what looked like a summary of scores) and then marked it with a red arrow. (That devious bastard—he made me violate page 80-81.) I did not see a chart. Didn’t ask for one. 

He asked why I would have had a reaction to that question. I recall being asked the second time (first time in second exam) and reacting somewhat. I think I was half puckering randomly, spacing out. I wondered what “serious” crimes were… I told him I sort of panicked in the second instance, because I wasn’t sure what he meant by “serious” (he reviewed: murder, arson, rape, assault, etc.). Finally, I gave up having started a fire at 3 (caught) and 6 or 7 (not caught). He said that he didn’t know what my reaction was about, he wasn’t going to ask, but that it would be up to my agency to make the decision. He would “e-mail the charts and send the disk” to the agency, have “Dr.” Gelb review my charts, and also send them to “John” Hopkins for review.

So I guess I was sort of inconclusive (although he never really said one way or the other—I think it was just a fishing expedition), and I made the mistake of giving him something, but overall I controlled myself better than I expected. Just tried to maintain the breathing (at one point I took a deeper breath and he cautioned against it, that it would “work against” me) and pucker when necessary (as it turned out, I wasn’t exactly sure when)—I should have reacted more to the “lying to a loved one question.” (Just sort of tough trying to decipher which were the control questions, although I’m sure that wasn’t one of them!) 

Now it’s up to the agency. If they try to DQ me for it, I’ll demand a retest or challenge it. In any case, it's been weeks and I have heard nothing either way.

I'll be in court tomorrow in San Francisco.  I'll take a look at that case where Dr.?/Mr.? Gelb reportedly signed a declaration as to his credentials.

Stay tuned.

Mark,

If Ed Gelb had earned a doctoral degree from either USC or UCLA, his dissertation would be included in the Dissertation Abstracts database.

I think we can safely say at this point that "Dr." Ed Gelb has been exposed as a phony Ph.D.

Please do mail me a copy of his resume! I'll scan it and put it on-line. It should be of great interest to anyone who might consider hiring the "doctor's" services, and to any lawyers who might question him on cross-examination.