Torpedo, You’re right about the guy being a mortgage broker and not an insurance salesman on the ditech.com commercial. I saw it again last night and realized my inaccuracy. With respect to the following excerpt from your post: "lost another one to those polygraph guys (aka Batman, Torpedo and the rest of the Justice League)" We may in fact someday be saying that. However, I do not consider that to be the case at all “present day”. That’s not to say that someday we will not. My personal polygraph experience is very restricted and limited to only two [my own] FBI pre-employment polygraphs. To clarify: I employed identical polygraph countermeasures on both polygraph exams. The first polygraph test was a very basic CQT test, no stim test, no post interrogation, and no noted or referenced problems from the polygrapher that administered the exam. The polygrapher personally told me that I did great on the test. He also told me that he did not see any problems with the polygraph charts, and said that I did fine. I did not lie on any of the questions during the polygraph exam. However, I did believe it was wise to employ polygraph countermeasures to reduce the risk of a false positive result. There is not a doubt in my mind that the polygrapher did not “see” anything suspicious within the charts. Personally, I feel that he would have challenged me on his suspicions. Also, there was no post test interrogation following the exam. He was very confidant that I had done extremely well. He walked me back to the application coordinator’s office, and remarked to all in the room, that I did very well. Those were his words exactly. The following week, I received a call from the applicant coordinator informing me there was a “problem” with my first polygraph results. Unbeknown to me, the FBI DC polygraph lab “suspected” I had employed polygraph countermeasures during the first polygraph test. Upon returning for the polygraph retest [at the FBI’s request] it was an entirely different story. It was the same polygraph examiner that had previously administered my first polygraph exam. He definitely was not as friendly as the first time. He informed me the second I arrived, that DC had suspected I employed polygraph countermeasures during the first test. He was very aggressive, hostile, and unfriendly with his line of questioning. The second test [retest] was R/I with no control questions at all. No stim test. This time, there was an entire set of 10/12 questions dedicated strictly to countermeasures that was not included in the first test. The first test consisted of drug use/theft, espionage and foreign contacts. The polygrapher asked me 3 sets of questions in random order per each of the two sets of 10/12 questions. [6 charts total] The second test consisted of the same original two sets of questions [minus control questions] drug use/theft, espionage/foreign contacts and countermeasure questions for a total of 9 charts. I was asked each set of questions in random order three times each on the retest. At the conclusion of the second test, I was aggressively interrogated and harshly questioned with respect to ONLY the countermeasure questions as they related to the first polygraph test only. I was never asked if I had employed polygraph countermeasures during the retest. The polygrapher was only interested in the first polygraph test. He said I did fine on the drug use questions, he was also convinced I was not a spy during the espionage series of questions… however, he was insistent that I showed deception on the countermeasure questions as they related to the first polygraph test only. The conclusion of my story is obvious to all on this board: The result of my second polygraph retest was not within acceptable parameters. I was officially reported to the FBI Field Office to where I had applied as “inconclusive”. [Failed result] Torpedo: I believe the FBI is studying polygraph countermeasures to learn the “tale - tale signs”. Unlike some on this site, I do believe that unrehearsed, ill prepared and poorly employed countermeasures can be detected. I even put my self in the shoes of a polygrapher, what would I watch for. 1) controlled breathing, 2) visual “obvious” flexing/squeezing of the buttocks, over-responses to ALL control questions, 3) deviation from established baseline breathing pattern on ALL control questions, etc., etc… Obviously, I did not get a job with the FBI. I was disqualified from further processing and consideration. Thus, driving my interest in this website… Hindsight is always 20/20… if I had it to do over again, would I do things differently? Without hesitation, I would indeed. Does the personal experience of failing my FBI pre-employment polygraph exam change my views on the accuracy of polygraph testing, not at all. I still believe polygraph testing is susceptible to countermeasures. I simply made obvious mistakes, perhaps responded to too many control questions, thus, raising suspicion from the DC lab. Where do I think I went wrong, what raised the flags in my personal case… consistently responding to ALL of the control questions during the first polygraph test. I also responded to the initial/final statement: “the test has now started” and “the test is now completed”. I simply over-did the countermeasures concept all together. Instead of detracting attention/suspicion, I attracted attention by producing a “perfect chart”. If I had only responded to a couple of the controls, not all of them, I think the result would have been quite different. Bottom line, it took the FBI DC polygraph lab to detect/suspect the countermeasures. The polygrapher that personally administered the 1st CQT polygraph test, absolutely suspected nothing. Furthermore, he did not suspect that I employed countermeasures on the retest. He never asked me if I did, he was only interested in getting a confession that I used countermeasures on the first test. I employed the same polygraph countermeasures exactly as I did during the first test. Seemingly, they went undetected/unsuspected. In the end, the FBI DC lab deemed my retest results as inconclusive. [failed] based strictly on the first test only. The retest was never even an issue, nor questioned. Torpedo, Batman, and others; I respect you guys as polygraphers. I understand it’s your job. I also think you actually try to do the best that you are capable of doing. There is no doubt in my mind that you mean well, and are probably very professional within your specific career field. Indeed we do get caught up in little more than insulting post(s), rather than openly sharing and debating reasonable and interesting ideals. I merely think that polygraph testing is misleading, and unreliable. I continue to believe polygraph testing is susceptible to countermeasures. And yes, I do believe from time to time, that you guys probably catch someone employing ill rehearsed countermeasures. I employed polygraph countermeasures, and was suspected and interrogated of such. Resulting in being disqualified from further consideration with the FBI. I still have a great career with the DoD. Although; I would have given it all up for a job with the FBI. In closing: I sincerely hope that anyone out there that may be considering the use of polygraph countermeasures; need to seriously consider the potential consequences and downside if things should go wrong. If countermeasures are properly and successfully employed: you get the job… If caught or suspected of countermeasures: Permanent disqualification from the agency applied for, failed polygraph result on permanent file, embarrassment, regret, etc. My final thoughts: Even if I had NOT used polygraph countermeasures is no absolute guarantee that I still would have passed the polygraph exam. Simply telling the truth is no guarantee of passing a polygraph exam. False positive results are not uncommon. I still very possibly could have failed the [very same] polygraph exam even if I had not employed polygraph countermeasures. Truely something to ponder... Triple x
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