Okay... For over a year now, to no avail, I have been defending my character from things my former wife has been saying about me.  This has been damaging to my reputation and as a result I have been suffering from a serious degree of stress and lots of anxiety attacks. Finally, after making noise to anyone who would listen, I was able to arrange a polygraph at the police department.

I arrived for the exam 15 minutes beforehand.  I was not really stressed, I was however anxious to finally resolve this issue.  I didn't feel any need for stress because all I wanted was the truth anyhow.  But I admit that I was anxious about the process (the unknown).  I actually thought a polygraph was something that was put on my head to read brainwaves.  That's how naive I was to the process.

Anyway, everything up until after the polygraph went well (I think anyway) - pretty much just as I have read in the manual the faciliators of this site published - something I should have read it before the test.

Everything seemed fine and cordial.  The introductions: "Tell me about yourself"; "What do you admire the most in people?"; "What do you dislike the most in people?"; "How honest would I rate myself out of 100?; Ummm, stuff like that.

Then went into some sort of pre-test questionaire.  This is when he asked what I now know as 'control questions'.  "Have you ever lied about something serious?"; "Have you ever disappointed anyone?" (or something like that); "Have you ever done anything you regretted?" (Or ashamed, or something like that). In all there were four control questions.

In this same phase of the process we also went through the other six questions I would be asked during the exam. Two were something like: "Is my name Corey?" and "Am I in the city where I live?"  Four were questions that related to the issue I was increasingly stressed about, and the remainder were as I already mentioned the control type questions - but he didn't call them control questions, he called them "safety questions".

From there, he hooked me up to the machine and had me take a card (laminated cards with numbers on them - about 6-8 cards to choose from) and memorize it.  After communicating some numbers, he told me the number I had picked - which was correct.  So at this point I was more assured than ever on the validity of the exam.
The polygrapher told me I reacted well to this test and would do well.  GREAT!

So we continued with the actual test - three times.  I mean three times he went through the same questions in different order.  Each time saying the test is about to begin and the test is now over.

Then he unhooked the laptop computer and said he was going to review the results and asked what I thought they would show.  Duh!

About ten or fifteen minutes later, he came back and turned into an other person.  At this point I was confused. He didn't tell me how I did, but he did tell me "it was obvious that I was hiding something" (or something along that line).  When I kept answering that same question over and over and over and over again - like literally 30 or 40 times, maybe even more - I told him he was harrassing me.

He used statements I made at the beginning of our meeting, like when I told him I admire honesty in people the most, he said I should be honest.  I laughed at him and told him that's why I was there.  I was getting insulted and visibly agitated.

In this time, he really kept harping on any knowledge I had of the polygraph.  I already gave him this answer at the beginning of the meeting so I was curious why he kept asking after the test was done. That started to put the red lights on for me, and infact the reason why I started looking for sites like this.  Pretty funny when I think about it.

He asked me what question upset me the most.  I explained that I felt like he was trying to get me to lie to his "safety questions".  He basically told me to say 'no' to the questions. I mean, when we reviewed them I gave him an answer to each of them, but he told me other than that time... I kept trying to intercept him, but he just pushed. That upset me - and confused me (until I read the manual, of course).

I already confronted him about harrassing me about questions I already answered truthfully to - including in the polygraph.  I was getting annoyed and after 25 minutes or so of what I feel was abusive behaviour (defintely much different from the person I met when when I came in) I got up and left saying that I don't have to put up with this.  He went chasing me down the hall - well followed me, although it felt like chasing.  I ignored him and left.

I felt betrayed and tricked into the process and was shaking with anger when I left.

I do not know how to get the reults of this test.  Do they mail them to you or something? How long does it generally take to get the results? I left a message on voicemail to have the charts, results, video and audio of the "interrogation".  I gave him my lawyers contact information and told him not to contact me again.

So, again, how can I get this information?  It must be available to me under the Freedom of Information Act.
If I have the charts, can an independent polygrapher examine them and come to a conclusion?  Or do I have to go through that process again? (Something I won't even consider).

Here's how I feel about my polygraph experience:  I believe I passed the exam - I have to believe it, there is no justice otherwise; however, I have to wonder why the polygrapher behaved the way he did after the test.  I feel he thought I couldn't have passed it and therefore must have cheated (something i didn't even know you could do before visiting this site).  Is this a normal feeling?  Do polygraphers typically do this to attempt a confession of some sort - even after the polygraph?  I mean, I now know that the only real benefit of polygraphs are to "trick" someone into a confession, but do they typically behave this way if you pass it?

I hope I have been thorough enough.  Let me know if there should be any other relevant information I forgot to add.  Thanks in advance.

BOTTOM LINE: The manual on this site descibed my polygraph experince pretty much word for word.  It is a valuable tool and should be read to avoid the tactics polygraphers use.  I wish I would've read it before my exam.

quickfix

It shouldn't matter what type of exam he was given. His question was about the polygrapher's continuous badgering about his knowledge of and researching polygraphy. Apparaetly the polygrapher couldn't  determine if countermeasures were used or not and badgering was his way of fishing for a confession. 

Corey

Appears like you produced a good chart. If it turns out that he failed you, then get a court order and abtain the charts and take them to an independent Q. C. firm. A court order is probably the only way to get them

Twoblock:  why don't you let Corey answer the questions I posed instead of answering them for him.  Do you always finish someone else's story for them, especially when you weren't there?  And it does make a difference what type of exam it was.  One may result in selection for employment, the other a selection for incarceration.  If he walked out on a pre-employment exam during posttest, it seems unlikely he'll be offered the position he was seeking.  A crim exam is another matter.  Another contention is your belief he produced "good charts".  What does that mean, good countermeasures or good passing (NDI) poly results?  How could he produce "good charts" of either, if the examiner went after him?  Did you review his charts?
Finally, some posters confuse "harassment" with "interrogation";  although after reading Onesimus' posted NSA letter, there are, I admit, times when examiners go overboard.

P.S.  going after someone's spelling mistakes is something only a moron does when one can't defend one's position.  

Regards

quickfix

I feel free to chime in any time I please just like you and everyone else.

I am reluctant to answer you vigorously because you might delete your post as you did when you questioned my knowledge of federal law. That is after I answered you.

No I wasn't there and neither were you. It is my opinion that Corey produced a truthful chart because the polygrapher only harassed him about his knowledge and research of the polygraph. If deception was indicated on the actual relevant questions, why wouldn't the "interrogation" be centered there instead of where it was? Seems to me the polygrapher was trying to badger a confession that Corey had researched polygraphy. Probably on this site.

quickfix wrote on Apr 2^nd, 2006 at 8:39pm:


So, if a polygrapher THINKS you cheated, or used these countermeasures, than he comes to an inconclusive decision no matter what the results say?  Am I understanding this correctly?

In other words, if a polygrapher doesn't like you, and you actually pass the test, he can just say he thought you cheated?

There has to be a way to confront this issue... NO?

So the test is even more of a joke!

Twoblock wrote on Apr 2^nd, 2006 at 10:08pm:


Indeed, the polygraper (Todd) did not actually accuse me of cheating.   

He asked me at the beginning of our meeting what I knew of polygraphs and if I talked to anyone about polygraphs or searched polygraphs on the internet.

After the test, he went all out.  He kept harping on the issue.  That's when I started to realize that there's something going on and consequently led me to find this website.

I forgot to mention that the polygrapher had me close my eyes during the exam.  I am not getting the impression that this is typical, but please correct me if I am wrong.

I received word (from a third party) this afternoon that the detective is trying to say I did something to the equipment before the test.  This is making me furious.  I demanded a review of the videotape to discredit this lie (I am glad for that tape now).

This how this is making me feel:  I believe they have this "he couldn't have possibly passed the test" mentality "so let's make-up reasons as to why he passed".  This is driving me nuts!!!

I have asked for the charts if they fail me.  I will have them reviewed by an independant polygrapher at that point.  I assume that this can be done.

I'll keep you updated.  In the meantime, any advice is well received and greatly appreciated.  Thank you to Twoblock and quickfix for your insights.