As a lowly polygraph operator with only ten years of experience, I'll offer my opinion...

First, when reviewing any polygraph exam, it is important to maintain a sense of perspective. The image that's pictured is less than one half of one complete polygraph chart. Given that a proper CQT polygraph series requires at least three full charts, we're only seeing about 16% of the big picture, if that. Also, any worthwhile review of any polygraph procedure requires a video component to help rule out (or rule in) other possible explanations for apparent artifacts.

In answer to your questions:

1. Absent any other explanation for the movements – e.g., distractions such as the sound of a slamming door, or a flying insect strafing the test subject (rare, but it happens) -- I would infer that CMs were likely in play.

2. Physical

3. No, but again, we're only looking at part of the first chart. Many test subjects are nervous as hell, and it can take time for them to settle down. That said, the movements following the CQs on this chart segment are suspicious and damning.

4. In federal polygraph circles, the re-test decision might be up to a supervisor. I don't know. There's much more flexibility in my realm of private practice. For me, the re-test decision would depend on what the rest of the test series looked like. A snapshot such as the one shown here does not tell the tale. If the series had obvious signs of manipulation throughout, it is highly unlikely I would conduct a re-test. 

With regard to this particular case – or any polygraph, for that matter -- another angle to consider is the possibility of examiner bias.

As an aside, the comparison/control question shown at the bottom of the chart image, Did you ever say anything in anger you later regretted?, suggests the test was of the directed-lie variety.

I'm not a fan of the directed-lie CQT. Why? When a test subject is instructed to lie to the controls, they have no reason to fear them.

With regard to the mild but noticeable arousal in the cardio and EDA channels of the CQs, it's quite possible those rises in amplitude were tied to the subject's anticipation of "doing the deed" at hand -- that is, executing the countermeasure moves.

There's not much action in the pneumo tracings, but it's largely immaterial anyway. Pneumos are generally disregarded when scoring a DLCQT. However, some examiners score pneumos for RQs in such a test, while purposely ignoring those of the CQs.

Ark...  So, Honts, in his new article in the APA journal, is suggesting that we score pneumos in a DLCQT?

Interesting. Very interesting. 

Can't wait to see those prolonged apneas in the CQs...

From what I've seen, in the hokey-pokey world of polygraph, the more things change, the more they stay the same. 

That's just my humble opinion, of course.

Admittedly, I'd be somewhat more intrigued if Honts' piece was featured not in a house organ of the American Polygraph Association, but in an indu$try-independent academic peer-reviewed journal.

Time will tell.  Or not.

By the way...  I'm aware of the mental "work" allegedly tied to deceptive RQs, but where is the mental "work" in a directed lie CQ?

There ain't none.

Ark, a recent article that's hailed as a breakthrough by some polygraph research bigs is "Credibility assessment: Preliminary Process Theory, the polygraph process, and construct validity", written by John J. Palmatier, PhD and Louis Rovner, PhD. I believe it was published in June of this year, appearing in the peer-review publication International Journal of Psychophysiology.

Coincidentally, the polygraph examination in the above example was conducted by the 902nd Military Intelligence Group's polygraph unit. This is the same unit who's chief in November 2000 declined to polygraph me because it was "too hot of a potato."