Did I pass?

[Anonymous]

I recently took my PD poly. There was no stim test. The examiner went over a list of questions. We talked about a few minor things such as marijuana experimentation in high school, etc.  He then hooked me up to the machine and asked 13 questions.

He went through the series twice. At the test's conclusion, he said the computer indicated no deception. There was no post test interview, he just unhooked me and wished me luck.

I know, everything he said was a game, so I didn't take him for his word. Consequently, I'm a nervous wreck as to whether I really passed. I could feel myself react to some of the questions (breathing) and tried to alter my breathing slighly during the irrelevant questions.

I'm on pins and needles. Any thoughts?

Note: this post has been edited to protect your anonymity. -- AntiPolygraph.org Administrator

[Flaw]

I'd say you passed; just my non-expert opinion.

If anything, looks like polygraphers also have days they wish were shorter.  Imagine administering such "tests" as a career, full-time, all day?  

[Ray]

Flaw,

In the policy forum, George just posted an article from a St. Louis area newspaper you might find interesting.  Read through it and you'll have a better understanding of what examiners do on a daily basis.  Applicant exams are a small portion of our duties.  

Anonymous,

Sounds to me like you passed.  However, your altered breathing on the irrelevants may have been considered an attempt at C/M's...better hope that's not the case!

[Marty]

Sounds to me like you passed.  However, your altered breathing on the irrelevants may have been considered an attempt at C/M's...better hope that's not the case!

Ray,
I assume he meant "controls" not "irrelevants" was that also your assumption? Perhaps he will clarify.

As for your comments elsewhere about the utility of the polygraph. It is an area that deserves more serious discussion as the questions involve both quantitative questions and philosophical ones. Not everything a society does must or should be justified based on the greatest net societal good.

-Marty

[Ray]

Marty,

Attempted manipulation of the test is considered C/M's.  It doesn't matter if he followed George's rules or not.  Incorrectly applied C/M's are still C/M's.

  

[Marty]

Marty,

Attempted manipulation of the test is considered C/M's.  It doesn't matter if he followed George's rules or not.  Incorrectly applied C/M's are still C/M's.

Ray,

Ad hoc CM's are are indeed still CM's and it certainly is reasonable, and maybe even more likely,  for the examiner to detect them and be suspicious in that case. I keep forgetting how common ad hoc CM's are. I still wonder if Flaw misspoke.

-Marty

[George W. Maschke]

Anonymous,

If your polygrapher had suspected deception, it is highly unlikely that he would have told you that you passed. (Instead, you would have been treated to a post-test interrogation.) It appears to me that you did indeed pass.

Happy holidays!

[Flaw]

>Flaw,
 ...and you'll have a better understanding of what examiners do on a daily basis.  Applicant exams are a small portion of our duties.  

Ray,
I know, just a bit of soured rhetoric on my part.

However, can it be said that there are no FBI polygraphers that administer such 'tests' on a routine basis, given the assumption that thousands of applicants are knocking on the doors?  Or, possibly, do SA with such 'skills' get rotated around from "investigation" duty to "polygraph" duty?