"i am looking for some information on the polygraph for SO's on probation. On some polygraphs i see questions about "have you purposely omitted anything about. .?" and "have you lied to your po about. .?" which seems like it could easily stray into things from before probation.
Now, the few SO ones on here don't seem to ask those questions much, and from what i have heard from guys in my group it doesn't seem likely to be a common question since i know some of them have been through multiple polygraphs without failing one and i know they are omitting things in therapy.
For me, i am worried about over thinking. Before i started probation i had a few pictures. But i got rid of them before probation started. I know i did cause i went though the folder page by page. But my paranoia said "what if?" and even though i know for a fact they were thrown out i still make myself worry. Now, the question they ask is if i have "viewed" porn which i can honestly say i have not. But that omitted part nags at me. But again, it seems it doesn't get asked much. I would very much appreciate some confirmation.
——I am posting this for a friend. I will add that his anxiety is above and beyond when it comes to this. And I think he is freaking himself out coming up with so many what if scenarios. But any info is appreciated. His poly is next Tuesday.
Concerned,
You'll want to read up on polygraph procedure. There is a category of questions called "control" or "comparison" questions, the subject's answers to which are actually expected to be lies. These questions are often purposefully vague, as they're intended to produce a reaction even in subjects who are answering the relevant questions truthfully.
For details on polygraph procedure, see Chapter 3 of our book, The Lie Behind the Lie Detector (https://antipolygraph.org/pubs.shtml).
For examples of the kinds of "control" questions commonly used in post-conviction sex offender "testing" (PCSOT), see the message thread, PCSOT Probable-Lie "Control"/Comparison Questions (https://antipolygraph.org/forum/index.php?topic=5367.msg40570#msg40570).