failed texas poly after reading this site help!!!

[concernedapple]

After reading this site I decided to try out what I read. They did not pass me because they thought I was trying to manipulate the test. The polygrapher even showed me the results and it looked like to me that I might have done overkill on the control questions. They accused me of cheating and i denied it to the end. What went wrong and what should i do now?

[George W. Maschke]

Could you provide more detail about your polygraph examination? What questions were you asked? Which ones did you believe to be "control" questions? What countermeasures did you employ?

[concernedapple]

Well trust me the control questions were easy to recognize. Basic control questions that were on this site. It was like you guys predicted exactly how the test was going to be.

I used mental counter measures. I can raise my blood pressure by mentally doing this. I did this because i think biting down on the tongue is too obvious. I think by mentally raising my blood pressure it showed up as apikes on the control questions. They were not gradual increases in the pressure.

Any advise?

[concernedapple]

This really concerns me because I have always wanted to be a cop and what is going to happen when I apply to other agencies. Maybe i should have used different counter measures. What do you think?

[George W. Maschke]

It is possible that your polygrapher thought your reactions to the "control" questions were "too good to be true." But without knowing what questions you were asked and which you deemed to be "control" questions, I cannot exclude the possibility that you might have reacted to one or more irrelevant questions as well, which some polygraphers may take as an indication of countermeasure use.

I don't know of a better countermeasure than mental countermeasures, as they are entirely unobservable.

[dimas]

I often find these posts to be somewhat doubt raising, especially when it is posted by someone who has never posted before.  Could be real or it could just be a pro-poly person trying to throw people off from considering countermeasures.

In the case that this is a real post, then I suggest that you contest the findings of the polygrapher, I am sure that after the test they told you how to do this and appeal it, so that perhaps you can get a retest.  If you indeed did try to pass the test using countermeasures, maybe you should try to take the test without them (this is of course something you should do with another agency and not the one you have already tested for).

While I have my own personal reservations about polygraphy, I also feel that until something better comes up that it is the only choice LE agencies have to be albe to further screen applicants for things that a Background Investigation will not uncover.

Ultimately, you could try and test with an agency that DOES NOT polygraph.

[concernedapple]

ok here were the control questions

the test was repeated 4 times

Have you ever lied to a love one?
Have you ever cheated in school?
Are you completely trustworthy?  wasn't sure if this was a control question though

these were the only control questions

[George W. Maschke]

All three of these are indeed "control" questions.

Did your polygrapher explain to you why he believed you were trying to manipulate the results? Why did he show you the chart? What did he expect you to see in it?

ok here were the control questions

the test was repeated 4 times

Have you ever lied to a love one?
Have you ever cheated in school?
Are you completely trustworthy?  wasn't sure if this was a control question though

these were the only control questions

[concernedapple]

Hey can we talk off of this site because I would really want some advice from you. Can I send you my e-mail and give you my number?

I just dont want to be recognized from this site

[polyfool]

After reading this site I decided to try out what I read. They did not pass me because they thought I was trying to manipulate the test. The polygrapher even showed me the results and it looked like to me that I might have done overkill on the control questions. They accused me of cheating and i denied it to the end. What went wrong and what should i do now?

Concernedapple,

You did the right thing to deny it to the end because examiners don't really know for sure whether examinees use countermeasures. After a nearly 90 minute intense interrogation, my examiner said to me, "I think you tried to manipulate this test." I didn't have the slightest idea as to what he was talking about. I didn't know countermeasures even existed and as far as I was concerned, only sociopaths were able to beat the polygraph.

If polygraph examiners could really recognize countermeasures, they would not go around accusing people of using them who have never even heard of them. It's complete nonsense--they are just bluffing, hoping the examinee will fall for their little game and admit to them--only then will they know for sure.

[George W. Maschke]

Hey can we talk off of this site because I would really want some advice from you. Can I send you my e-mail and give you my number?

I just dont want to be recognized from this site

You can send me a private message through this message board. I'd be happy to speak with you by phone or e-mail. If you download Skype, we could speak for free with end-to-end encryption. My Skype user ID is "georgemaschke".