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Posted by Gordon H. Barland
- Jul 06, 2001, 09:40 AMGeorge,
I think Dr. Zelicoff misunderstood what I said. While I don't have a transcript of my remarks in front of me, my position has consistently been that drugs are generally believed not to have a significant effect on the accuracy of a control question test, for there is no drug known to selectively affect the size of a response to only one category of questions, control or relevant. Initially, the study by Waid, Orne, Cook, & Orne (1981) in the journal Science indicated a 400 mg dose of Meprobamate selectively reduced the size of reactions to relevant questions, but a series of later studies by Iacono and his colleagues was unable to replicate that finding. Incidentally, all of these drug studies were published in the scientific literature. I'm at a loss to explain why Zelicoff was unable to locate them.
Drugs might well affect the utility of the CQT, as opposed to the validity, by increasing the inconclusive rate. From that perspective, it would not be improper for an examiner to ask what medications or drugs a person had recently taken.
Peace.
I think Dr. Zelicoff misunderstood what I said. While I don't have a transcript of my remarks in front of me, my position has consistently been that drugs are generally believed not to have a significant effect on the accuracy of a control question test, for there is no drug known to selectively affect the size of a response to only one category of questions, control or relevant. Initially, the study by Waid, Orne, Cook, & Orne (1981) in the journal Science indicated a 400 mg dose of Meprobamate selectively reduced the size of reactions to relevant questions, but a series of later studies by Iacono and his colleagues was unable to replicate that finding. Incidentally, all of these drug studies were published in the scientific literature. I'm at a loss to explain why Zelicoff was unable to locate them.
Drugs might well affect the utility of the CQT, as opposed to the validity, by increasing the inconclusive rate. From that perspective, it would not be improper for an examiner to ask what medications or drugs a person had recently taken.
Peace.
Posted by George W. Maschke
- Jul 06, 2001, 07:12 AMGordon,
Al Zelicoff at Sandia attributed such a statement to you during the Department of Energy's public hearing on its then-proposed polygraph rule on 16 September 1999. He was referring to your remarks at a "technical briefing" on polygraphy held at Sandia on 7 September 1999 at which you and DOE polygraph program chief Dave Renzelman spoke.
The following is the relevant portions of Dr. Zelicoff's remarks. He was enumerating six unanswered questions from the technical briefing:
The above citation is from the hearing transcript at pp. 130-31 (pp. 134-35 of the PDF file):
http://antipolygraph.org/hearings/doe-1999/9-16hear.pdf
Al Zelicoff at Sandia attributed such a statement to you during the Department of Energy's public hearing on its then-proposed polygraph rule on 16 September 1999. He was referring to your remarks at a "technical briefing" on polygraphy held at Sandia on 7 September 1999 at which you and DOE polygraph program chief Dave Renzelman spoke.
The following is the relevant portions of Dr. Zelicoff's remarks. He was enumerating six unanswered questions from the technical briefing:
Quote
Second, Dr. Barland's [sic] stated that there were no medications that have any effect on the utility of polygraphy, and he claimed to have a reference. I'd like to know what that reference is. I've been unable to find such a reference after looking through Science Citation Index, which includes 15 million review articles. There is not a single article that has both polygraphy and drug effects either in the abstract title or full text.
...
And then finally, and perhaps most importantly, Dr. Barland claimed that there was no evidence that there were any commonly used drugs that had an effect on polygraphy. That was Question 2. But specifically, I would like to know if beta blockers, ACE inhibitors, antianxiety drugs, antidepressants -- you can pick one from each of those -- calcium-channel blockers and anticonvulsants have any effect on the signal-to-noise ratio for polygraphy.
The above citation is from the hearing transcript at pp. 130-31 (pp. 134-35 of the PDF file):
http://antipolygraph.org/hearings/doe-1999/9-16hear.pdf
Posted by Gordon H. Barland
- Jul 06, 2001, 01:02 AMGeorge Maschke wrote:
George, I don't recall saying that. That is not my position. What report are you referring to?
QuoteDr. Gordon Barland, formerly chief of countermeasures research and instruction at the Department of Defense Polygraph Institute (DoDPI), is reported to have claimed at a "technical briefing" on polygraphy held on 7 September 1999 at Sandia National Laboratories that there are no medications that have any effect on the utility of polygraphy.
George, I don't recall saying that. That is not my position. What report are you referring to?
Posted by George W. Maschke
- Jul 05, 2001, 08:01 AMDistrustful,
The issue of medical questions asked by polygraphers has been a source of controversy in the Department of Energy's polygraph program. Dr. Gordon Barland, formerly chief of countermeasures research and instruction at the Department of Defense Polygraph Institute (DoDPI), is reported to have claimed at a "technical briefing" on polygraphy held on 7 September 1999 at Sandia National Laboratories that there are no medications that have any effect on the utility of polygraphy.
But Sandia National Laboratories senior scientist Dr. Al Zelicoff notes in a 13 June 2001 letter to the Secretary of the New Mexico State Board of Medical Examiners:
For further reading, see the message thread, Drugs, Polygraphs, & Doubletalk from Polygraphers.
It occurs to me that those who are especially physically fit might be at something of a disadvantage during a polygraph interrogation: if their at-rest breathing rate is slower than what polygraphers deem "normal," then they run the risk of being accused of employing countermeasures (even though slow breathing is not a technique that anyone who understands CQT polygraphy would ever employ).
The issue of medical questions asked by polygraphers has been a source of controversy in the Department of Energy's polygraph program. Dr. Gordon Barland, formerly chief of countermeasures research and instruction at the Department of Defense Polygraph Institute (DoDPI), is reported to have claimed at a "technical briefing" on polygraphy held on 7 September 1999 at Sandia National Laboratories that there are no medications that have any effect on the utility of polygraphy.
But Sandia National Laboratories senior scientist Dr. Al Zelicoff notes in a 13 June 2001 letter to the Secretary of the New Mexico State Board of Medical Examiners:
Quote
A series of negotiations and meetings began in late March between Sandia and the DOE Office of Counterintelligence (OCI). I attended one of these meetings, chaired by our Senior Vice President, which included the DOE Chief of Polygraphy (Mr. David Renzelman) and the local DOE "testing center" polygrapher (Mr. John Mata). At this session, the polygraphers continued to insist that (a) medications have an "effect on the polygraph" and (b) that these effects were consistent and reproducible. When I asked for references (articles, reviews, or textbook chapters) to substantiate their claims, they could produce nothing. Instead they made glib, illogical statements like: "well, if you're all hyped up don't you think that your pulse will be changed" (my answer: "of course, but is it differentially changed when your subject is actually lying as compared to telling the truth")....
For further reading, see the message thread, Drugs, Polygraphs, & Doubletalk from Polygraphers.
It occurs to me that those who are especially physically fit might be at something of a disadvantage during a polygraph interrogation: if their at-rest breathing rate is slower than what polygraphers deem "normal," then they run the risk of being accused of employing countermeasures (even though slow breathing is not a technique that anyone who understands CQT polygraphy would ever employ).
Posted by Distrustful
- Jul 04, 2001, 01:50 AMHello everyone,
I was wondering if anyone had any info. on how a person's physical condition can affect a polygraph. I was curious if a person who is in really good shape has a better chance of passing than someone who is not in good of shape. Also, what about conditions such as high blood pressure and the medications that someone would be prescribed for it would have on an exam. I don't think I have seen any info. regarding these issues here.
Thanks
I was wondering if anyone had any info. on how a person's physical condition can affect a polygraph. I was curious if a person who is in really good shape has a better chance of passing than someone who is not in good of shape. Also, what about conditions such as high blood pressure and the medications that someone would be prescribed for it would have on an exam. I don't think I have seen any info. regarding these issues here.
Thanks