Good Story

[LC213]

Prior to these tests I didn't know about this site.  You'll find out why I found the site at the end.

Took my first polygraph 3 weeks ago for a Law Enforcement Agency Pre-employment (Agency A) - Polygraph operator said that I was "off the charts deceptive" on one question and asked me when the last time I had used drugs was (the last time being 2004, and exactly what I had told them all along).  He said ok and sent me on my way.  I thought it was weird he didn't tell me whether I passed or failed the entire test but ok.

Second Polygraph, this time for agency B  2 weeks ago - Different location, different independent company.  Passed with no problems.

Third Polygraph last week, agency A again as a specific test for drug use.  End of the test he immediately accuses me of countermeasures including stopping my breathing and artificially inflating my blood pressure.  I'm dumbfounded at this point because I stopped my breathing while I was saying yes or no and I'm still not totally sure how to artificially inflate your blood pressure.

So, how do you pass one in the midst of failing 2?  I'm pretty sure that flipping a coin is a better way of doing this since at least they can take all of the potential candidates for the job and flip a coin for each of them before they put several days worth of work into applying only to be told that they're lying when they aren't.

[George W. Maschke]

Thank you for sharing your story. As you've learned the hard way, polygraphy is highly unreliable. In fact, it is completely without scientific basis. Instead of science, polygraphy depends on trickery on the part of the polygraph operator and ignorance and fear on the part of the person being "tested."

False accusations of deception are common. A statistical analysis (255 kb PDF) by Dr. Alan P. Zelicoff of the best published field studies of polygraphy suggests that, "if a subject fails a polygraph, the probability that she is, in fact, being deceptive is little more than chance alone; that is, one could flip a coin and get virtually the same result for a positive test based on the published data."

As polygrapher paranoia grows over the public availability of information on polygraph procedure and countermeasures, accusations of countermeasure use seem to be growing. AntiPolygraph.org has received numerous reports of such false accusations. (Incidentally, I, too, was falsely accused of using polygraph countermeasures at a time when I had no idea what they were.)

[LC213]

My initial conclusion after talking with my wife (who knows I'm telling the truth) and my family is that the first test was a false positive and the 3rd test (the first and 3rd were done by the same operator while the second was an operator who had nothing but bad things to say about the company that I took the other polygraphs at) in which they accused me of countermeasures was just the result of someone not wanting to admit that they were mistaken the first time.  After all if a failure followed by a passing test happens very often I would believe the operators credibility would be in question and more than likely the department would stop using him.

[George W. Maschke]

An astute observation. The polygrapher doing your 3rd polygraph had every incentive to "fail" you on the "re-test" (thus "confirming" his original conclusion) and none to "pass" you.

[Shigatsu]

Why would anyone expect the polygrapher to think you might pass when he already failed you the first time? Seems they gave you an extra chance that they did not have to give you and you still failed. At least you got a second chance which is more than many people get.