posted 04-14-2009 08:08 AM            

quote:

---

Multiple issue tests do suffer from what we call anti climax dampening the relevant questions can compete with each other.

A date is a lesser issue than having a sexual encounter with another woman if he was lieing to both, which one logically would be the biggest threat? What can happen is the lesser issue is no competition for the larger issue. Based on his large response to it -12 and inconclusive on the others it would appear that is what has occured in this instance.

---

posted 04-14-2009 08:58 AM            

Good points.

I don't often read the public forum because I have a sneaky suspicion that many of the posters are shills.

This one is articulate, detailed, and engaged in the conversation - almost obsequious in her appreciation for all the advice, info, and vicarious para-professional counseling.

Yet, she can't find a moment of courtesy to press the return key an extra time and make a nice readable paragraph.

Trying to impose an operational definition during the pretest may help, but does not solve the problem of a succinct test question.

I am of the opinion that a good test question should be clearly understandable by an average PO on their second day at work.

Sure, an operational definition helps. But it won't fix the problems perfectly.

In this case, if I were the counselor, I'd be trying to impose some clarity of understanding that the husband has admitted to several "dates." He was meeting alone for personal/emotional/social reasons with a woman to whom he was attracted (not his wife), for no legitimate business and no good reason. He's simply re-labeling it (lying), and saying "it wasn't a date." OK, what was it? Dinner? Coffee? Lunch? Movie? How much you wanna bet he touched her physically? Hug? Touch hand? Touch shoulder? Standing close in line? Casual bump into...? Nothing good can come from that for someone interested in building a happy marriage. These are decision points in which the marital atmosphere from one of honesty to dishonesty, and from authentic to fake - when the relational momentum in changes from moving towards each other to moving alongside/parallel, or away from each other.

You get the picture.

I think its fairly obvious that the husband (assuming this is real) is lying about the date question at the very least.

This poster, if she is real and not simply enjoying the attention and info from us polygraph people, has herself turned the issue from one of the condition of her relationship into a polygraph issue.

Excellent deflection.

Assuming this is a real person, the question is not about the polygraph - its about what does she want from her relationship with her husband. The polygraph has simply informed her that she might be wiser to not completely believe him yet.

.02

r

------------------
"Gentlemen, you can't fight in here. This is the war room."
--(Stanley Kubrick/Peter Sellers - Dr. Strangelove, 1964)

posted 04-14-2009 02:35 PM            

I agree with you. Did you notice my post nearer the top after she asked what she should do? My answer had nothing to do with polygraph and was at least one possible real solution. She ignored that completely and went right back into discussing the structure of the polygraph exam. I noted this and decided to stop posting because I didn't think she was wanting real help, but rather looking for something to confirm what she wanted to hear.

------------------
Ralph Hilliard
PolygraphPlace Owner & Operator

Be sure to visit our new store for all things Polygraph Related
http://store.polygraphplace.com