The CIA polygraph exam aims to elicit disqualifying admissions and damaging information from you that background investigators could not have known otherwise. They want to dig into your private life for anything you have done that could be disqualifying. They will use manipulative and psychologically coercive tactics to break you down and get you to pour your life out to them. CIA polygraph examiners are highly persistent and arrogant and will stop at nothing you elicit an admission for you. When you register a physiological reaction, they will leave the room to provide your results to Quality Control to review your charts. 

Then, they will come in and engage in Direct Positive Confrontation.

This is when they begin the interrogation with a direct and accusatory statement indicating the absolute certainty that you were not truthful with the examiner on a particular question or questions. They will say something similar: "I told you initially that I would be truthful about the polygraph process. In the pre-test interview, I allowed you to share anything on your mind that would cause reactions on the polygraph, but now these results indicate you were not being truthful. You didn’t fulfill your obligations of being truthful with me when I was with you.” 

This might be an absolute shock for those who have never been through the polygraph process before, especially when the polygrapher accuses you confidently and sternly. This is their goal. They are attempting to elicit a spike of fear, anxiety, and adrenaline that causes you to panic. They will exploit this state of fear that you are in by providing an escape or a way out. The examinee fears being disqualified from the application process and barred for life. Perhaps they might even fear the agency will take legal action for showing signs of “deception” on questions about significant crimes, withholding information, lying on forms, etc. 

The CIA polygrapher will alleviate those fears by offering the examinees an opportunity or a chance to explain themselves and have the opportunity to still be considered by the agency. This is their trap!!! 

They will threaten you, “It would be in your best interest to share what you are withholding and explain yourself rather than walk out the door. How would that look to the adjudicators if you choose not to say anything and walk out the door? It would give off the impression that you are choosing to hide something and just leaving your status with an unsuccessful or deception-indicated polygraph result. It would look much better if you cooperated with us and started sharing what was causing those reactions.” 

They use this line to manipulate and persuade you to stay in the room and start talking. That is their game plan to transition into an interrogation. Once you start talking and give them more and more rope, they will hang you with it. They will attempt to elicit as much derogatory information as possible and coerce you into making any damaging admissions. They will use techniques such as minimization, alternative questions, theme development, and false evidence (as described in my other posts) to elicit as much disqualifying information from your private life as possible. The false pretense is that they are attempting to help you and be your ally by helping you pass the test by eliminating anything in your conscience causing those physiological reactions. This is all a scam. They are really just gathering damaging information that could not have been known otherwise. 

If they invite you back for another polygraph, use common sense. If it really were a lie detector, why would they invite you back for another one? Also, why even engage in post-test interview/interrogation? If it really were a lie detector, they believed, they would have disqualified you on the spot and told you not to let the door hit your ass on the way out. The reason why they invite you back a second time is for them to interrogate you even more and elicit more information from you. When you finish your polygraph and go to the processing areas, they will have you sign your name for a second polygraph on a sign-up sheet. Notice the many other names on there for a second polygraph. That should get you thinking. Don't forget your common sense.