Quote from: furedy on Nov 03, 2003, 03:13 AMSorry, I'mn still operating from dififcult Sydney email, and cannot reply directly to message (and many typos). This message refers to a Nov 1 claim that the onloy interrogatory component of the CQT is the process of choosing the "control" questions, which were also said to be "orthogonal" to the relevant questions. Regarding the term "orthogonoal", iI have not come across this term before, but it seems to me to be the sort of meaningless jargon that the Roman entrails reading priests also probably employed.
But to return to my header, the CQT (in contrast to the CIT which, like many other detection devices, may form the basis of the decision to interrogate, but does not contain interrogation as part of its detection function) contains many interrogational comkponents other than the process of choosing "control" quesionts. To take just one example, the attempt to convince the examinee of the 100% accuracy of the polygraph in detecting *all* lies (e.g., "the machine will detect if you're not 100% honest") is both a lie (i.e., the examiner, even if he is fool enough to think that the polygraph is over 90% accurate, still does not think it is 100% accurate) and an interrogational component (i.e., setting up a scenario that increases the probability that the exminee will confess--note that the CIT does not have this component).
Again, and stilll before the "post test interview", the pretest will often contain quesionts that will be used durin ghte "post test interview". For example (a real one), in the pretest interview the examiner finds ouit that the examinee's mother has recently died. IN the "post test interview" interrogation, "Your poor dead mother would have wanted you to confess your guilt".
There are many other interrogatory aspects, but especially on this primitive emaill, I've said enough. All the best, John
Quote from: J.B. McCloughan on Nov 03, 2003, 12:23 AMAgreed, so long as the investigator doesn't inadvertantly convey information, for instance by body language, to the examinee. I also agree it is best to determine in advance possible exposure to CI.
Asking the subject what knowledge they have prior to the examination, without introducing the questions of the tests to be administered, will give them no more knowledge than that which they already possess.
QuoteYes they are costly but so is failed justice. However, scientific techniques can be used to determine suceptibility to such biases and provide a basis establishing proper safeguards if and where needed for day to day use of these tools just like it is used elsewhere.
Although blind and double blind studies are worthy of use in scientific studies within a controlled setting, the actual practice of such things in the field of forensics are rare.
Forensic sciences are costly methods of investigation that are, for the most part and for most disciplines, not available for use in most investigations. In a perfect society with unlimited resources, your method would be plausible. In this ideal society, there would be plenty of qualified investigators to conduct thorough investigations on any crime and unlimited resources at their disposal, to include forensic scientists. However, this has not been the case in even the best of economic times. In today's even more taxed economy, there are even less of those resources to achieve such a goal. Unnecessary steps are eliminated in the field to help reduce the manpower and cost needed to adequately complete any investigative method, with the integrity of the investigation and the excepted level of the given investigating agency being the standard of measurement.
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My understanding is that in Japan, where CIT's are actually the most common forensic polygraph type administered, such issues are often cleared up after the CIT is given rather than before. Determining suspect exposure to CI can inadvertantly inform them. Areas where they have come in contact with CI are more apparent post test.
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More generally, the point about the inettoragory-prop aspect of the CQT is that interrogation already assumes guilt which any scientifically-based test is suppoed to detect, independently of the tester's opinions. The CIT, which may not be that accurate, nevertheless fulfils this elementary condition for a scientifically-based test; the CQT does not, and, in the hands of a "hostile" polygrapher, has only the function of an interrogatory prop.
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Pretty much true I think, even where the polygrapher doesn't think of themselves as hostile. Otherwise we would see CQT's given by examiners that are uninformed about the case and subsequent interrogations being done by others. Something most easily and properly done with a CIT.
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Perhaps I am overly cautious. First, I believe the vast majority of examiners are in fact trying to get to the truth on relevants. The reason for not briefing the examiner is to prevent inadvertant bias by well meaning human beings. After following some of the consequences of "Facilitated Communication", a fad that once was believed near infallible and has been proven to be unconcious, self-deception by well meaning people, I want to see objectivity (blind and double blind processes) inserted whereever possible.
Quote from: J.B. McCloughan on Nov 02, 2003, 12:56 AMI disagree that polygraph is more often used for the guilty. I think that statistics would show that the innocent are cleared by polygraph equally as the guilty are discovered.I agree. My comment to Furedy was that an interrogation phase was often a component, even where the likelihood favors innocence. The Smarts and their relatives are a case in point. I didn't mean to suggest an interrogation phase assumed guilt though of course that is the normal usage of the term aside from the polygraph.
QuoteA CIT cannot be given without first assuring that the subject is absent the concealed information from plausible sources. This dispels any initial argument that the subject was knowledgeable of the concealed case facts. Further investigation may be needed to confirm the source of the leaked knowledge.My understanding is that in Japan, where CIT's are actually the most common forensic polygraph type administered, such issues are often cleared up after the CIT is given rather than before. Determining suspect exposure to CI can inadvertantly inform them. Areas where they have come in contact with CI are more apparent post test.
QuoteI also disagree that a CQT is given with the notion of presumed guilt. As I stated earlier, close to half of the subjects tested are opined non-deceptive and subsequently cleared of any wrong doing by the investigation.Did I suggest otherwise or was this meant as a response to another?
QuoteI would agree that the CQT, CIT, or any test, when placed in the hands of a person of questionable integrity, has the potential to be biased. There have been recent news articles of other scientific procedures that were confounded with such.
The notion that an examiner must be absent the knowledge of the facts of the investigation I find plausible but not necessary. After all, many forensic sciences, to include the brain fingerprint, involve investigation into case facts and documentation of the crime scene by the examiner.
J.B.
Quote from: furedy on Nov 01, 2003, 05:51 AMMy header should be distinction between detection and interrogation, and refers to this distinction in the "specific issues" polygraph onctext. The detection of the polygraph refers to th eclassfication of individuals as guilty ("deceptive") vs innocent ("innocent"). The claim of the polygraph as a piece of applied psychpohysiology is that the inforamtion provided by the recordings improves the examiner's accuracy in making this discrimination.The only interrogatory components to the CQT is in selecting the controls and those are ideally orthagonal to the relevants. That said, from the reading I have done it appears standard practice in CQTs is to typically include an interrogation phase. Further, it seems examiners consider it important to fully brief on a case in advance. This impairs the examiner's ability to conduct an "impartial" examination regardless of intentions otherwise. However, it is required if the examiner is to conduct an interrogation with any degree of skill. As for the CIT, which really should be more widely used for the reasons you cite, could also serve as a basis for subsequent interrogation. It might even be more effective for it has the potential of admissibility in court and this would quickly become known were it in common use.
In the case of the most coommon "hostile" polygrapher case used by such agencies as the police, the motivation of the CIT examiner may interrogation function of the polygraph is to elicit a confession. Note that while the motivation of the examiner may be to find the suspect guilty, the CIT procedure, in contrast to the CQT procedure, contains no interrogatory components.
This is an important distinction between the CQT and the CIT.
QuoteMore generally, the point about the inettoragory-prop aspect of the CQT is that interrogation already assumes guilt which any scientifically-based test is suppoed to detect, independently of the tester's opinions. The CIT, which may not be that accurate, nevertheless fulfils this elementary condition for a scientifically-based test; the CQT does not, and, in the hands of a "hostile" polygrapher, has only the function of an interrogatory prop.Pretty much true I think, even where the polygrapher doesn't think of themselves as hostile. Otherwise we would see CQT's given by examiners that are uninformed about the case and subsequent interrogations being done by others. Something most easily and properly done with a CIT.
Quote from: J.B. McCloughan on Nov 01, 2003, 01:21 AMJohn,J.B. McCloughan,
I'm aware of and have read Gershon and your paper. I am wondering what the current definition of interrogation is that you are using? My definition is that one interrogates when one tries to obtain information from an individual or a group of individuals that are not readily willing to divulge such information.
The CIT, as with most any psychological test or interview, employs methods that meet the above definition at some point.
Respectfully,
J.B.
QuoteThose would be the pneumo tubes, part of the measuring instrument suite, probably just hooked to the back of the chair for storage purposes and convenience for the polygrapher when hooking up a "client."