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Posted by George W. Maschke
- Sep 26, 2001, 05:17 AMDbird,
I don't know whether your polygrapher used a relevant/irrelevant or a "control" question technique with you.
With regard to countermeasures for the relevant/irrelevant technique, it would depend on how the "test" is being scored. Often, "global" (rather than numerical) scoring is used in this technique, that is, the polygrapher uses his/her gut feeling as to whether the subject is telling the truth or not in reaching a decision. In such a case, behavioral countermeasures would be of increased importance. Another thing polygraphers tend to look for in relevant/irrelevant scoring is a conspicuous reaction (on multiple channels) to a relevant question across multiple charts (repetitions of question series). Thus, a possible countermeasure for this kind of "test" would be to artificially create a reaction to a different relevant question during each series. However, I am not suggesting you attempt this. If the polygrapher is actually using a "control" question technique, then an augmented reaction to a relevant question might result in one's failing.
Neither the relevant/irrelevant "test" nor the "control" question "test" have any validity. Neither are science-based "tests" at all. In convincing your assessor (this is someone other than your polygrapher, right?) not to use polygraphs as part of her assessment, you might direct her to this web site and show her a copy of The Lie Behind the Lie Detector. That she would consider a pseudoscientific fraud like polygraphy to be an "essential piece" of her assessments ought to be a source of extreme professional shame and embarassment to her.
I don't know whether your polygrapher used a relevant/irrelevant or a "control" question technique with you.
With regard to countermeasures for the relevant/irrelevant technique, it would depend on how the "test" is being scored. Often, "global" (rather than numerical) scoring is used in this technique, that is, the polygrapher uses his/her gut feeling as to whether the subject is telling the truth or not in reaching a decision. In such a case, behavioral countermeasures would be of increased importance. Another thing polygraphers tend to look for in relevant/irrelevant scoring is a conspicuous reaction (on multiple channels) to a relevant question across multiple charts (repetitions of question series). Thus, a possible countermeasure for this kind of "test" would be to artificially create a reaction to a different relevant question during each series. However, I am not suggesting you attempt this. If the polygrapher is actually using a "control" question technique, then an augmented reaction to a relevant question might result in one's failing.
Neither the relevant/irrelevant "test" nor the "control" question "test" have any validity. Neither are science-based "tests" at all. In convincing your assessor (this is someone other than your polygrapher, right?) not to use polygraphs as part of her assessment, you might direct her to this web site and show her a copy of The Lie Behind the Lie Detector. That she would consider a pseudoscientific fraud like polygraphy to be an "essential piece" of her assessments ought to be a source of extreme professional shame and embarassment to her.
Posted by Dbird
- Sep 26, 2001, 12:15 AMTrue, true. What I see here as a problem is that by answering honestly to such a question unaugmented means I am doomed to fail; answering augmented causes that response (as I understand this business--feel free to correct me, please) to read as a lie. Real Quandry here. After what I have studied here, I believe this man to be using the older irrelevant/relevant method.
And ... any input as to how to convince the professional assessor not to use polygraphs as part of her assessment?
This seems to be according to her an essential piece.
And ... any input as to how to convince the professional assessor not to use polygraphs as part of her assessment?
This seems to be according to her an essential piece.Posted by John (Guest)
- Sep 25, 2001, 09:33 PMThe ludicrous one about masturbating to thoughts of children may well have been a control question in that it would certainly have "shock value" to the examinee. This shock value response could be measured against the relevants. Just a thought.....I know a SS agent who actually got one about having sex with farm animals. Have they no shame?! lol
Posted by Dbird
- Sep 21, 2001, 06:34 AMI just learned more about my polygraph. I should point out that I have a progressive hearing loss. I have residual hearing and use sign language interpreters. My first language is English.
My wife told me tonight that I actually "failed" the most important question on the test: have I fantasized about my children? I answered no because that is the absolute truth. I understood from my follow up appointment with the assessor that I passed that question, but the assessor told my wife I failed it. Caused a lot of convoluted communications. I do plan to communicate with some other experts about how my hearing loss affects all of this. BUT, if I understood that question, how could I have failed it? Can I pass such a test as a hard of hearing person? The polygrapher did not want to accommodate my needs and I was intimidated.
My wife told me tonight that I actually "failed" the most important question on the test: have I fantasized about my children? I answered no because that is the absolute truth. I understood from my follow up appointment with the assessor that I passed that question, but the assessor told my wife I failed it. Caused a lot of convoluted communications. I do plan to communicate with some other experts about how my hearing loss affects all of this. BUT, if I understood that question, how could I have failed it? Can I pass such a test as a hard of hearing person? The polygrapher did not want to accommodate my needs and I was intimidated.
Posted by Dbird
- Sep 20, 2001, 08:12 PMThe others were along the line of:
* Were you molested as a child? (yes)
* Have you ever thought about molesting your two children? (no)
I forget at this moent the other questions, which were all "no" responses and tested fine.
* Were you molested as a child? (yes)
* Have you ever thought about molesting your two children? (no)
I forget at this moent the other questions, which were all "no" responses and tested fine.
Posted by George W. Maschke
- Sep 20, 2001, 07:30 AMBased on your description of these few questions, it seems the polygrapher might have used a relevant/irrelevant technique. Could you describe the other questions you were asked?
Posted by Dbird
- Sep 20, 2001, 07:01 AMWithout becoming overly specific, this is a risk assessment for CPS. The first Q is "Is your name >>>>?" It is followed by "Are you withholding anything from G--- (assessor who will receive the polygraph results)?" Then, "Have you ever masturbated to fantasies involving children?" There are several more after that. It is those initial questions (except the first) that I was shown as not being truthful (even though I was). The rest were just fine, but I am told that without passing those first few the rest of the test cannot be vaildated. 
Posted by George W. Maschke
- Sep 20, 2001, 04:15 AMDbird,
Could you describe the questions that your polygrapher asked?
Could you describe the questions that your polygrapher asked?
Posted by Dbird
- Sep 20, 2001, 02:29 AM I could not fathom what might be a control question in my polygraph test. I was honest but failed it anyway. 
We are working out a plan (I hope) to retake it. Am I too nervous? Any ideas in this situation? How can I focus and not be anxious? Posted by George W. Maschke
- Aug 17, 2001, 07:18 AMCalifMike,
Where are you hearing this from?
With regard to polygraph techniques without "control" questions, there is the relevant/irrelevant format which, though widely discredited even in the polygraph community, may still be used in some places. DoDPI still teaches a relevant/irrelevant screening technique, and in another message thread (Countermeasure considerations for the innocent), retired DoDPI employee Gordon Barland suggested that the relevant/irrelevant technique would be appropriate for use with persons who understand the trickery behind "control" questions, though he did not explain his rationale for this belief.
In the relevant/irrelevant technique, polygraphers look for consistent responding to a relevant question. One way to avoid this would be to augment one's responses to a different relevant question during each series. Another strategy might be to create a stronger response to one of the irrelevant questions than to any of the relevant questions.
Note that some versions of the relevant/irrelevant technique use disguised "control" questions. The DoDPI General Question Test (GQT) is an example of such a technique, though in response to a recent Freedom of Information Act request, the Defense Security Service reported that the GQT is no longer in use and is no longer taught at DoDPI. For more on the GQT, see my message board post, DoDPI General Question "Test" (GQT).
As with any "control" question "test," the key to passing a relevant/irrelevant polygraph interrogation using disguised "control" questions would be to produce stronger physiological responses to the "control" questions than to the relevant questions.
With regard to being asked a set of questions but being asked to "mentally think about the answers," this technique has been termed the "Silent Answer Test" (SAT). James Allen Matte describes it in Chapter 19 of Forensic Psychophysiology Using the Polygraph (J.A.M. Publications, 1996). The following excerpt from pp. 514-15 helps explain the rationale for this technique:
Matte only discusses the Silent Answer Test in terms of a "control" question technique. Whether the subject is told to answer the questions verbally or "mentally," the key to passing is to produce stronger physiological responses to the "control" questions than to the relevant questions.
Where are you hearing this from?
With regard to polygraph techniques without "control" questions, there is the relevant/irrelevant format which, though widely discredited even in the polygraph community, may still be used in some places. DoDPI still teaches a relevant/irrelevant screening technique, and in another message thread (Countermeasure considerations for the innocent), retired DoDPI employee Gordon Barland suggested that the relevant/irrelevant technique would be appropriate for use with persons who understand the trickery behind "control" questions, though he did not explain his rationale for this belief.
In the relevant/irrelevant technique, polygraphers look for consistent responding to a relevant question. One way to avoid this would be to augment one's responses to a different relevant question during each series. Another strategy might be to create a stronger response to one of the irrelevant questions than to any of the relevant questions.
Note that some versions of the relevant/irrelevant technique use disguised "control" questions. The DoDPI General Question Test (GQT) is an example of such a technique, though in response to a recent Freedom of Information Act request, the Defense Security Service reported that the GQT is no longer in use and is no longer taught at DoDPI. For more on the GQT, see my message board post, DoDPI General Question "Test" (GQT).
As with any "control" question "test," the key to passing a relevant/irrelevant polygraph interrogation using disguised "control" questions would be to produce stronger physiological responses to the "control" questions than to the relevant questions.
With regard to being asked a set of questions but being asked to "mentally think about the answers," this technique has been termed the "Silent Answer Test" (SAT). James Allen Matte describes it in Chapter 19 of Forensic Psychophysiology Using the Polygraph (J.A.M. Publications, 1996). The following excerpt from pp. 514-15 helps explain the rationale for this technique:
Quote
Research conducted by Frank S. Horvath and John E. Reid (1972) revealed that the Silent Answer Test produces better respiratory patterns by eliminating causes of distortions from the examinee who prepares himself or herself to answer each question aloud by inhaling a great amount of air; from the examinee who loudly bellows his or her answer to emphasize his or her denial; from the examinee who feels compelled to give an elaborate answer instead of a simple "yes" or "no" as instructed; and from the examinee whose throat is dry or irritated necessitating the clearing of his or her throat or coughing at intervals during the test.
Their research further indicated an enhancement of the utility of the electrodermal (GSR) recording. The SAT not only produced a chart with greater purity of tracing but also acted as an effective stimulation test for the subsequent polygraph tests/charts requiring a verbal answer.
The stimulating effect of the silent answer test on the guilty examinee may be due to the dilemma encountered when told he or she is not to answer the questions aloud but truthfully and silently to himself or herself. Previously the examinee has geared his or her defenses so that his or verbal answer to the relevant questions would not betray him or her. Now the examinee wonders whether he or she should answer those questions truthfully to himself or herself and presumably not show a reaction, which may reflect a different pattern than the previous charts, or silently answer them the same way as before and perhaps show a strong reaction as he or she may have on previous charts. This causes an inner conflict, a feeling of helplessness, which carries over into the subsequent test requiring a verbal response. The guilty examinee must now readjust his or her defenses again in preparation for his or her verbal responses to the relevant questions, which causes his or mind to race inasmuch as the two tests are administered back-to-back. The examinee's concern is on the relevant questions, which are now an even greater threat to his or her well-being which increases the strength of his or her psychological set onto the relevant questions and creates greater and clearer responses. The Silent Answer Test has the effect of enhancing the threatening power of the relevant questions to the guilty examinee, and conversely also enhances the innocent examinee's concern over the probable-lie control questions inasmuch as the relevant questions should be of no concern to him or her.
While most polygraph techniques employ the Silent Answer Test as a stimulation test and/or countercountermeasure, usually after the second chart, some polygraph techniques use the SAT as the very first test prior to the administration of the relevant issue test and include the SAT data in their decision-making process.
Matte only discusses the Silent Answer Test in terms of a "control" question technique. Whether the subject is told to answer the questions verbally or "mentally," the key to passing is to produce stronger physiological responses to the "control" questions than to the relevant questions.
Posted by CalifMike
- Aug 16, 2001, 07:00 PM In the Law Enforcement arena, I have been hearing a lot about examinations without being asked control questions. The test starts out with a lengthy questionaire. Next, the polygraph equipment is hooked-up and the first set of questions is asked verbally. Lastly, the subject is asked the same set of questions again, but to mentally think about the answers. How does one handle these types of exams?