It was likely a bluff.  This is done to everybody to try to get you to confess to something.  I'm starting to think that polygraphers have the ability to manipulate the charts during the exam.  They probably sit there and drag the lines on the chart up and down and make spikes and other shapes and then show you their work of art to make you think you really had a reaction.  Or...the polygrapher probably sits there and plays solitaire on the computer for a while during your exam and then after your exam shows you some pre-made charts that have these huge spikes. 

Can anyone confirm if the polygrapher has the ability on the machine to manipulate the charts at his/her will?  I know many government agencies use the LX5000 or LX4000 polygraph machine from Lafayette Instruments (lafayettepolygraph.com) but I'm not sure if this is a feature.  It would be funny if it was!

Regardless, even if you did have a reaction, so what.  The polygrapher's interpretation of your reaction is circumstantial without a confession from you.  DON'T CONFESS!

Quote:

I seriously doubt if any of them are smart enough to do that.

Thanks for the input. It seemed a little odd. I know I didnt fail it, but he asked anyways. My thought was that either he was bluffing or he didnt understand the test. Meaning, that if he truly believed I showed a reaction to that question, then wouldnt it follow that I would have showed a reaction when he asked if i intended to tell the truth and if i had lied to anyone in authority.. Sounds pretty simple to me... But, that being said, from what i understand its up to him if I pass or fail? 

When polygraphers tell you that the machine is "99.999999% accurate and can always tell when someone is lying", that statement itself is a lie.  They want the public to actually believe that the machine can detect lies so that the victim...err...person being tested will confess to dirty deeds that he/she thinks the polygraph machine already knows about.

Yes, the machine can read your blood pressure, sweating, breathing, and other data.  The polygraphers want to convince everyone that a change in normal bodily functions means you are lying, in hopes to coerce illicit confessions.  This is bs.  I started daydreaming and falling asleep during my 4+ hour poly because I was getting board with being asked the same stupid questions over and over.  I'm sure my body reactions changes several times.  My heart rate probably slowed when I fell asleep, and then it probably sped up with the polygrapher yelled at me to wake me up because he was pissed off that I was snoozing and not taking him seriously or falling for his little game. ha ha

Ignore whatever the polygrapher is telling you, it is mostly lies.  Stick to your guns and don't confess and you'll be fine.  As they keep pressing you to confess to something, you keep telling them that you have nothing to confess to.  Soon they'll give up.  That is the real key to passing a poly.  Don't be scared into thinking you have funky charts.  I'd be more inclined to believe that my funky charts mean I have a heart condition or some other doctor's diagnosis from the machine.  But reading my mind?  GTFOH.

There is often a seat sensor as well during the poly.  So they know when you fart.  Does that mean I'm lying too?  ha ha.

jojodancer wrote on Sep 17^th, 2012 at 4:30am:

He he he, ha ha ha!  Good catch!  Way to call out and bust these polygraphers  on their own tools!  I knew those rat bastards would muck with the machine.

jojodancer wrote on Sep 17^th, 2012 at 4:30am:

That is EXACTLY all that the polygraph is!

Bill,
You are absolutely correct and that is exactly what I said. 

"What I mean is, you can for example, increase the size of the EDR reading so that it looks really big next to the other two original sized readings and can actually cause it to overlap the other two readings, which is EXACTLY what my chart looked like. Only the EDR reading was supersized. "

Well, update as promised. I just recevied a call to schedule me for the physical exam. I asked on the phone, "so I assume everything went well on the polygraph and interview?" I was told yes everthing looks fine. So background done, psych done, poly done, now physical exam.. The moral of the story is, yes I think the guy was Bsing me and I have even less respect for polygraph operators now, at least the ones who BS people.