Drew, Your numbers are a little low compared to my research on valid and reliable studies of single issue tests; however, let's take your numbers and look at them a different way. If the polygraph works accurately on 90% of the population, then added to other investigative measures, you have just reduced 90% of the failures of systems in place. Additionally, when it comes to espionage cases, I think a blind system where the subject did not know if he passed or not, or was told he passed when he failed, and then monitored, I think the approach would be very good at screening for weaknesses in the system. Any of these issues can be addressed, but unfortunately, the Federal Government management systems are poster examples of broken systems. There is no effort to rate effectiveness of managment approaches to various problems, which is in itself a major problem. But that's an arguement for another web site. My point is this, any background or criminal investigation can greatly benefit by the use of a polygraph instrument with an ethical and well trained examiner. It is not a replacement for any part of a background investigation, and needs to be used as a tool to make the investigation more accurate. I have seen it also help people get into sensitive careers. (If it were not for the polygraph exam, most people with ex-spouses may not get hired.) I use that example to illustrate the fact that first hand accounts of incidents or a person's character are far less accurate than polygraph exams, and yet the reliance on them is rarely questioned. Until a better system is created, the polygraph exam is here to stay. People will continue to come to this site who are scheduled for a polygraph exam. As more states adopt mandatory polygraph exams for child molestors who are released from prison, I'm sure the number of visitors to this site will increase. Fortunately, the countermeasures you keep advising people to use are not too difficult for most experienced examiners to detect. As I have stated before, it's the foolish person who has never taken a polygraph examination, and takes your advice, causing them to fail the polygraph, and gets denied a job because of it that I hope to influence. (Run on sentence, I know, but I couldn't help it.) The best way to pass the polygraph examination is to tell the truth. Hundreds of thousands of people have used that tactic and have been successful. We will talk again, Take care.
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