All-

I hesitate to post here, but have a serious question someone might be able to help me with: I have a third (!)polygraph with the NSA soon, and it is the lifestyle questions I am getting dinged on. Specifically about drug use. I am 35 and used drugs extensively as an undergraduate, some 13 years ago when I never imagined doing this sort of work. It is a period of my life I pretty much block out and do not think about, ever, except recently, given this process. I can only pinpoint the date I never used another illegal drug again, given an emergency room trip and a few days' stay for it.  But, during the 'pre-interview' the polygrapher asks such specific questions that I really am not quite able to answer, i.e. how many times did you use this drug or that? I can give what is a reasonable estimate, but in my heart, cannot be certain of that. Which I get dinged on. I would rather just say on so-and-so date on year X, (over 13 years ago!) I never used illegal drugs again. And then I would be ok with the question, and know I am answering it honestly. Other than that I could do a statistical analysis of the time frame to come up with (VERY) broad parameters. Is this ok to say to the polygrapher? (And I had one who asked me very odd questions last time, i.e. I have a sister-in-law who is a Chinese national, and he actually asked me if I ever was going to see her again. DUH. Yes, since she is my sister-in-law! Which made me wonder about the whole process...) But also in my answers I also don't want to appear as a smart-ass academic and alienate my polygrapher. And I am despairing of this entire process, because each time I go in, I start thinking of more and more things I have ever done. Nothing extreme, but, it is hard for me to not think of everything I have ever did that in someway is not ethical. Which, as a Catholic, encompasses a wide range of things that I can fit into those lifestyle questions, no matter how remotely related. It is just the way I think about things. I am beginning to think this is just not for me, that I am the type of person, no matter how truthful I am, cannot pass.  And should just be a happy professor somewhere and not work for the government. HELP. Any advice would be most appreciated.

Thanks much! And I have no problem telling anyone I posted here. I definitely do not want ways to 'cheat', and have avoided all sites/ suggestions that tell me how. In any case, they seem like silly suggestions. Furthermore, while I am not necessarily sold on the scientific validity of a polygraph, I am also in a field that scientific validity of human behavior does not apply, so understand that, believe me. So I buy into the polygraph process, except in the cases of sociopaths, which no one has a way of detecting. But deception is not my aim in any case. I just don't know what to do at this point. I am just trying to be truthful, but for some reason, this is far more a complicated deal that giving a concrete answer to what seems to be a simple question, given that as I am asked these questions during my interview, all sorts of questions about my past behavior that I have not thought about in many, many years pop into my head. Because there is always but what if I am not remembering this correctly? I just have no confidence in my answers. I can give a subjective probability, but then the more I think about it, I think of more things....I just so wish these questions were asked DAYS beforehand, so I could wrack my brain about them and come to an answer I know is true, rather than guessing...

OK. 

Thank you very much for your time, and assistance. I will just have to try to get my polygrapher to ask me a specific question, i.e. timeframe, or I cannot answer it with 100% confidence. And I think that is all that is needed, but it seems to be such a problem.

Best, S.

Buying into the polygraph process--big mistake. It doesn't work. Just because deception is not your aim, don't count on the polygraph and your examiner to deem you truthful. This site is not about teaching examinees to lie and beat the poly. It's about protecting the truthful from becoming false positive victims. You'd do yourself a favor to educate yourself on the truth about polygraphs as they are not reliable even though that's the way they're portrayed in the media

RESPONSE:

Wow! Are you a social scientist and don't buy into positivism? Well, I am too, but hey, never thought this site was about "cheating" the pg on its own terms. The polygraph is what it is. Same with fingerprinting. I know the scientific evidence on both counts, but you have to provide a counterfactual in terms of both instances of it being used, (Both for and against) which I thought the background investigation would help with, but alas. Also, hey, I am not here to start a revolution.  I am just (selfishly) concerned about my particular situation, and if anyone's advice would help another soul. And if I can help anyone, please ask! But it is about being truthful and not trying to beat the box. Just trying to alleviate my fears and anxiety, and if this is of assistance to any readers, so be it.

Okay so, I plan on taking this on in a couple years. But here's the thing, how serious can one be about persuing a career where it's your job to protect the citizens of this country and you can't follow one little rule. It is clear your not supposed to be asking or posting about your experience. Fact is if you can't handle that how can one handle the harder requirements of the job?..It's for security clearance for g**** sake!!!

solze wrote on Oct 11^th, 2005 at 9:08pm:


Have they done a field background investigation on you yet?   Frankly, from the introspective and erudite nature of your posts, I think that you'd be much better off in academia than at the NSA.