Eastwood,

I agree that persons who feel the need to lie about relevant issues shouldn't seek positions of trust. But the "control" questions used in polygraph screening depend on the assumption that everyone "tested," even if truthful with regard to the relevant questions, will not divulge all of their "sins" (as you put it) and will instead answer the "control" questions deceptively. Under the circumstances, telling the truth (as you urge) doesn't help the applicant at all. On the contrary, the more candidly the applicant answers the "control" questions, and as a result feels less anxiety when answering them, the more likely the applicant is to wrongly fail.

Many of us whom you deride as "malcontents" followed your advice. We told the truth. But it didn't help. We were falsely branded as liars by our polygraphers. Now we're publicly telling the truth about polygraphs. If you have a problem with that, well, tough luck buddy.

Polygraphy is a pseudoscientific fraud that fundamentally depends on the polygrapher lying to and otherwise deceiving the person being "tested." You polygraphers who urge others to tell the truth have a hard time telling it yourselves.

Eastwood wrote on Dec 29^th, 2005 at 8:06pm:


Eastwood,

Do you have any suggestions for people such as myself who "failed" the test despite telling the truth?

No everyone, he is absolutely correct.  He has mis-stated nothing.

Telling the truth MIGHT help....but then again it might not.  That is the problem with polygraphy...telling the truth may or may not result in you passing the test.

This is my new mantra...

When taking a polygraph, telling the truth MIGHT help.