Officer,
Jane Doe III is right, I would refer you first to
The Lie Behind the Lie Detector. In particular, you'll learn to identify "control" questions in Chapter 3 and how to protect yourself against a false positive outcome in Chapter 4.
Your having listed minor childhood thefts is fine, and no doubt expected. But when you ask whether you should use mental countermeasures when asked "general info questions," your choice of terminology suggests that you might not be clear on the distinction between relevant, irrelevant, and "control" questions. If you do choose to employ countermeasures, be sure to do so only when answering those that you clearly recognize as "control" questions.
The question "Are you an honest person?" is an example of a commonly-used probable-lie "control" question.
Since all questions in the "in-test" phase of a polygraph interrogation must be answered "yes" or "no," your second example, "List everything under $100 you have stolen?" could not be used. However, a commonly-used probable-lie "control" question is: "Did you steal anything from an employer?" or "Did you steal anything of value?"
You'll find more examples of "control" questions in Chapter 3 of
The Lie Behind the Lie Detector. Feel free to post the questions listed in your pre-test questionnaire, and I'll be happy to provide commentary on them.
Regarding passing of a law against polygraphs, merely hoping for it won't make it happen. Our elected representatives need to hear from us. See the
Get Involved page to learn what you can do to help abolish polygraphy.
Last modification: George Maschke - 03/04/01 at 01:47:05