Breakdown CM

[guest]

Hi all,

I'm scheduled to take what I think will amount to a breakdown test after failing the Relevant/Irrelevant test (despite honesty).  How would I go about employing countermeasures for this?  Lie Behind the Lie Detector doesn't really specify. 

Thanks

[George W. Maschke]

The "breakdown test" is documented in Section C12.4.3.5 at p. 41 of the 2 October 2006 Federal Psychophysiological Detection of Deception Examiner Handbook (p. 58 of the PDF):

C12.4.3.5. Breakdown Test. A breakdown test is conducted to verify an examinee's statements regarding an issue after specific responses to one question have been observed during an R/I screening examination. The issue is separated from the remaining test questions, and a breakdown test is conducted. To devise appropriate breakdown questions, divide the issue into its logical components and design a question to cover each key area. The breakdown test can be conducted using an R/I format or a comparison question format.

If a comparison ("control") question format is used, then countermeasures are straightforward: target the comparison or "control" questions.

If a relevant/irrelevant (R/I) format is used, then countermeasures are not so straightforward. One could target a different pair of relevant questions during each chart collection (question series) in an effort to ensure that no single relevant question stands out. But R/I scoring is particularly arbitrary, and it's far from certain that such an approach will be successful.

A possible countermeasure to the R/I technique that we don't address in The Lie Behind the Lie Detector is scopalamine, which is the active ingredient in transdermal anti-nausea patches. It inhibits palmar sweating and may reduce the likelihood of a strong electro-dermal reaction being shown to any relevant question. A doctor's prescription may be required.

The behavioral countermeasures outlined in Chapter 4 of The Lie Behind the Lie Detector may be especially important in the context of the R/I technique (because the latter is such an arbitrary and capricious methodology).

In addition, as discussed at pp. 151-153 of the 4th ed. of TLBTLD, it would be helpful to have a "throw-away" explanation prepared in advance for any alleged reaction to a relevant question.