I'll share my experience, and while I would like the thoughts of everyone, I especially would like the thoughts of actual polygraphers.

I took a sex history polygraph 8 months ago as a requirement of probation.  I admitted to the polygrapher that two years prior I had read some of what was on antipolygraph.org to see what I would have to do after my case was adjudicated.

Prior to the test, he spent 30-45 minutes telling me stories of people that had failed sex history polygraphs and trying to convince me that I needed to call this off and come back another time if I wasn't 100% comfortable.  I had been over my history numerous times with my therapist and had no reason not to be comfortable.  The control questions that I remember being asked were "Have you researched countermeasures with the intent of using them to pass this test", "Are you using countermeasures today", and "have you ever lied to your probation officer".  Well, I was completely comfortable with those question since I hadn't actually studied countermeasures and I had only seen my P.O. once and had no reason or intent to lie to him.

Well, I failed.  Deception Indicated even though I didn't lie or omit anything from my sex history.  I knew during any question about "sex" I could feel my heart beat and my chest tighten.  I felt comfortable before that appointment, but over 30 minutes of him telling me those stories must have helped spook me.

Luckily, my PO allowed me to choose another examiner and try again a month later.  This time, I didn't say anything about antipolygraph.org and got control questions about stealing things and being dishonest with my parents.  The polygrapher spent about 40 minutes trying to make me anxious but he covered the control and relevant questions equally.  He didn't just focus the entire time on making me anxious about the relevant questions like the first one did.

I passed.

Both polygraphers were supposedly highly regarded and had 20+ years experience.

How do polygraphers explain that I can be deceptive during one test and non deceptive on another if this should be accurate?

How do polygraphers that practice techniques like the first one sleep at night when their methods could have resulted in  my probation being revoked and me going to jail and not being able to support my kids even though I wasn't deceptive?

Ex Member wrote on Oct 4^th, 2013 at 11:46pm:


I'm confused, if I talked about countermeasures I would have comments out the wazoo...but try to get an explanation of why I can get deceptive on one test and truthful on another when the relevant questions remain essentially the same and it's like everyone is on vacation.

Well, since this is the case I'll use common sense to come up with my own opinion.

Perhaps it's because an "experienced" polygrapher can create enough anxiety in a person and use tame enough control questions to cause a truthful person to fail.

I'm not going as far as saying the science is complete junk, but with no enforceable standards and the fact that polygraphers can manipulate the test by playing mind games means the results are not only useless, but extremely damaging to the innocent and potentially give a false sense of security to a guilty person that passes.

All of you polygraphers out there that have read this and aren't responding are cowards that need to start taking online courses to get a real job.

and they won't, I'm sorry, but polygrapher examiners are not only deceptive, but bullies who ruin the lives of other human beings, and get paid to do so????   

I used to have such faith in law enforcement and this country...no more, as I've seen way to much corruption to last a lifetime.  Sad but true....

quickfix wrote on Jan 7^th, 2014 at 8:17pm:

Not necessary.  In a few years conditions in this country will be just like those places.

Aunty Agony wrote on Jan 8^th, 2014 at 11:16am:



I fear you are more than correct!

Quote:

Do you really believe that?