Questions regarding "Stim" test?

[Visitor]

I recently took a polygraph and was given the stim test. I selected a number and the polygrapher instructed me to answer no to all. When I reached my number and answered "no" I remained calm like all of the other numbers. Then she actually showed me on her computer that the number I said "no" to had a noticeable increase in hear rate. Now my question is, was she able to "edit" the computer chart, like strecth the one she knew I was lying to in order to make it look like the polygraph machine can catch a liar? or was my heart rate not calm enough knowing I was about to answer "no" to a number I did write down?

Also, most of the questions were relevant and couldn't really distinct the control questions, for the statement "the test is about to start" am I suppose to use CM's with that to raise the response?

[George W. Maschke]

It would be trivial for a polygrapher to put a gimmicked chart on the screen to try to make them believe that they reacted strongly to the number they chose. But I don't know whether that is what happened in your case.

Actually, from the perspective using countermeasures, it makes sense to deliberately augment reactions to the number one chooses during the stim test. This may help to convince the polygraph operator that you react strongly when you lie.

It sounds like your polygrapher may have used the relevant/irrelevant (RI) technique with you. It doesn't hurt to produce a reaction to the announcement that "the test is about to start" and it may help make reactions to relevant questions appear smaller by comparison.

[Visitor]

Thanks for the response george. I was asked these questions, can you verify if these are relevant or control?

Do you intend to lie on this test before you came here today?
Did you lie to anything we discussed?
(Control) Have you lied to someone in authority?
Then there were a few irrelevant questions in there, like is the lights on and such. But if it was a irrelevant/relevant test why was there the control? It seemed most were relevant and like only one or two was control later in the end as if the relevant were grouped right next to each other.

[George W. Maschke]

"Do you intend to lie on this test before you came here today?" was probably a "sacrifice" relevant question.

"Did you lie to anything we discussed?" is a poor choice for a question, be it relevant or control. It is safest to assume it to be relevant.

You correctly identified "Have you lied to someone in authority?" as a probable-lie "control" question.

Without a full list of the questions you were asked, I cannot confidently state what polygraph technique you encountered. On occasion, a probable-lie control question may be added to the relevant/irrelevant technique (usually when the subject is showing low reactivity in general, in an attempt to determine wether the examinee is "capable" of responding; this is rather stupid, as anyone who can sit for a polygraph interrogation is capable of responding physiologically, but it's documented in the polygraph literature; in any event, there is a lot about polygraphy that is stupid).

It's also possible that there were control questions that you failed to identify as such.