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Posted by G Scalabr
- Jul 10, 2001, 05:27 AMQuote"Have you ever stole anything of value from past employers?" I'm assuming this is a control, but
"Have you stolen anything of value from your current employer? I guess this is a relevant because its not vague as the former...am I seeing this accurately?
John, both of these are "control" questions. The most important thing to look for in a control question is not vagueness (although I would argue that the 2nd question is still vague), but the fact that the polygrapher assumes that you will deny this question with a lie, or at least be less that 100% confident in your response. Unless "value" is defined, this question technically includes paper clips, pens, etc. In the minds of many examinees, it also covers taking a sick day when not actually ill (and thus "stealing" your pay for the day).
Relevant questions on theft tend to include a large monetary value somewhere in the question (i.e. "Have you ever stolen anything worth more than $200?). Here, deciding how to categorize the question requires a judgment call on your part. You have to decide whether or not the polygrapher (and the agency) is assuming that all applicants have engaged in the activity in question. Most agencies assume that every "desirable" applicant has stolen something from work (pens, etc), cheated in college, etc. On the other hand, it is assumed that desirable applicants have not stolen something worth over $200.
We are currently at work on the next edition of The Lie Behind the Lie Detector. Look for new information on recognizing control questions when it is released some time early in the fall. Nonetheless, the key principle to remember is that you are looking for questions where the polygrapher (and the agency) are assuming that all applicants will respond with a less than truthful answer if the question is interpreted as strictly as possible. A good idea is to first eliminate all of the irrelevant questions (these are easy to spot). Then eliminate questions with regard to violation of the agency's drug usage policy and those pertaining to intentionally falsifying the application, etc (guaranteed relevants). This process of elimination narrows the field considerably.
Posted by John (Guest)
- Jul 10, 2001, 01:53 AMI was curious as to the following questions...
"Have you ever stole anything of value from past employers?" I'm assuming this is a control, but
"Have you stolen anything of value from your current employer? I guess this is a relevabt because its not vague as the former...am I seeing this accurately?
"Have you ever stole anything of value from past employers?" I'm assuming this is a control, but
"Have you stolen anything of value from your current employer? I guess this is a relevabt because its not vague as the former...am I seeing this accurately?