Ken,

I think that it is safer to admit to having taken the poly than to deny it. It may be possible that your "jacket" is still in the agencies inactive files. If you are questioned about it just tell them what you have said here, that you couldn't afford to make another road trip to repeat the test

Your best bet would be to contact the agency that you took the test with and ask them how long they keep the old background "jackets". It is possible that they keep them only 1 year and destroy them or they could keep them 5 years.  

Your next step is to download and read The Lie Behind The Lie Detector and get yourself educated on just what tomfoolery the polygraph is. When you take your next poly you will have the power of knowledge and the ability to counter the ploys of the polygrapher.

Good Luck

Fred F.

What technique(s) is being used for all these pre-employment tests that are coming up "inconclusive"? My experience has been that pre-employment  tests are multiple issue exams. If this is indeed the case, are the examiners calling the applicants inconclusive for every issue or just one? An inconclusive result means that the polygrapher cannot determine truth or deception for that particular question. It does not and should not mean the person is lying and should not be a barrier for the applicants further consideration. It does mean that the background investigator has some work to do... to verify through other means if the applicant is being truthful or not. It is a sad, and I mean SAD, state of affairs if our law enforcement agencies cannot prove someone did or did not do something that would disqualify him/her and STILL NOT GIVE THE HUMAN BEING THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT. Those responsible for the public safety need to come back to reality. There is no substitute for a thorough complete background investigation. Short cuts such as the polygraph are unnecessary and unethical. Do they really save time? NO! What did we ever do before the polygraph? Gee, I think we can do that now can't we? The way we treat applicants makes me ashamed that I'm even associated with the business!

Fred, I'm really disappointed in the advice you gave Ken about about trying to beat the polygraph.  First you told him to be honest and then you suggested he use tactics in an attempt to beat the polygraph. You are a hypocrite the polygraph professionals can do without

John wrote on Jul 19^th, 2001 at 11:35pm:


John,

Let me clarify my position.

First, It is VERY important to be honest.

However a polygraph examiner is NOT honest. A polygraph has no scientifically tested "baselines" or peer- reviewed research to establish efficacy.  

A polygraph is "performed" by a "professional" that has 8-10 weeks of "training". This person then starts to assume that you are "holding back" information based on "readings" of your blood pressure, perspiration, and breathing patterns. If these "readings" are not what the examiner determines to be "normal" then you are deemed "deceptive" or depending on the examiners frame of mind, your "test" is "inconclusive", meaning that you are "withholding information". Then the examiner will attempt to "extract" this information on the premise that if you tell what you have "withheld" you will "pass". 

Would you trust a physician with 8-10 weeks of medical school to tell you that by information gathered on your breathing, perspiration, and blood pressure is indicitive of terminal cancer and you are going to DIE? 

You CANNOT determine "truthfulness" on a pseudoscientific format that the polygraph is based upon. The same goes for the scenario above, a medical student in 8-10 weeks CANNOT make a diagnosis from the parameters given.

Second, I did NOT suggest that he use "countermeasures" to beat the polygraph. My suggestion is always to be KNOWLEDGABLE in the "tactics" or "ploys" that a polygrapher will use in an attempt to discredit you and deem you "unworthy" , recognize these actions and COUNTER them by maintaining that you are HONEST and have INTEGRITY . Being educated is the power that can help produce a successful outcome to a polygraph. Using countermeasures is an INDIVIDUAL decision, I don't make decisions for people, the decision to use the countermeasures described in The Lie Behind The Lie Detector is for that individual to make.

I don't know if you have ever "passed" a polygraph John, however to honest people like myself, Nate, Dimas, who is a police officer that had a polygraph for another dept. that he was supposedly "deceptive", and Melvin, who successfully fought a bad polygraph and won, This website has given us invaluable education into The Lie Behind The Lie Detector.

Burger is right on the money when he said  "professionals can do without hypocrite polygraphers".


Fred F.