I just wanted to share my recent polygraph experience. I am looking for some feedback as to the actual results of the test.
Sometime ago , I was faced with several criminal allegations and became subject to a criminal investigation. In an effort to clear my name and establish my innocence I agreed to a polygraph test. I should say that I am entirely innocent of the allegations being made against me.
Going into the test, I was extremely nervous . In years passed I had committed a similar criminal act that had gone undetected. However the test itself was concerning the same act but an altogether different incident.
I made the mistake of admitting to researching the poly prior to the test. However, I had no knowledge of counter measures.
In any event, one of the control questions I was asked during the pre-test was:
Have you ever done anything you feel guilty about ? I promptly responded "No". Simply because anything I had done in my life that I felt guilty about was none of the examiner's damn business.
This question however, caused me a great deal of anxiety, but I wasn't prepared to disclose my past wrong doing. Needless to say, when I was hooked up to the machine, this control question caused me a ton of stress and likely created an elevated response.
The crime I committed occurred at a different time in my life, from the crime curently being investigated. However, because I did not know all of the persons currently accusing me of the crime under investigation, I no doubt reacted as well to the relevant questions.
In paticular, when I was asked, "Concerning persons X,Y,Z, have you ever............................
At the conclusion of my test, I was left alone for 25-30 mins. When the examiner returned he confronted me and suggested there "was a problem" with my test. Specifically, he suggested one of three things had occurred:
A. He suggested I was involved in the act currently
under investigation.
B. He suggested I had knowledge of who had
committed the act under investigation
C. He suggested I had something on my mind, that I
felt incredibly guilty about. (He was right !!!)
Anyway, after being confronted, I immediatley became angered at his accusations. He encouraged me to sit down and help him sort out the problem, but I declined. I asked him if he was calling me a "liar" and he did not respond. At no time did he accuse me of lying. I then asked for a copy of the charts. He refused and instead suggested he did not have a printer with him !!! (Ya, right, we were in a police station !!) Another examiner entered the room and made a vague accusation that "alot of people try to employ counter measures" to beat the test. I became outraged as I definately had not.
Finally, I ended up walking out and leaving. I have still never been told of my results. I know that I definately reacted to the relevant questions because of the way they were worded and to atleast the control question described above. I am looking for any feedback as to the likely outcome of my test.
Your input would be appreciated.
Typically, if the polygraph charts are scored as "deception indicated," the polygrapher will directly confront the examinee with the results, accusing him/her of deception in no uncertain terms, using interrogational approaches such as those outlined in the Department of Defense Polygraph Institute's Interview and Interrogation handbook (http://antipolygraph.org/dodpi-interrogation.pdf).
Your polygrapher's equivocation (merely stating that there "was a problem") suggests that your charts may not have been scored as "deception indicated."
I am interested in more feedback from you George, as well as feedback from any of the other senior users.
In my case, supposing I only showed a reaction to 1 of the control questions, but also reacted to the 3 relevant questions I was asked.
At the time of my test, 1 of the control questions and all the relevant questions (3) seemed to cause me an equal level of anxiety. I answered all relevant questions truthfully but, for reasons I stated above, I had obvious anxiety and no doubt showed a reaction.
Is an elevated reaction to only 1 control question enough to offset the reactions to 3 relevant questions and produce a truthful chart ?
Assuming my reactions were about the same, how would the charts be scored in this case ?
Any input would be appreciated. ???