Help! What does this mean?

[SoloLemon]

I recently took a polygraph and felt good about it.  I would have told you I passed if i knew better.  It was a specific issue test because I had taken one earlier.  But at the end the polygrapher said "I still have to score these, but from what it looks like you did NOT pass."  He then tried to get me to say more info about what we had talked about.  I maintained that I had told the truth.  Not long after he said "Nice to meet you, have a nice day,"  and I was on my way.  Would he have told me flat out that I failed or was this just an interrigation tactic?  I'm freakin out!!!!  

[George W. Maschke]

If you had truly failed, and your polygrapher wanted to bring to bear as much psychological pressure as possible to get an admission out of you, then he should have confronted you directly with the news that you had unambiguously failed. His comment "I still have to score these" undermined the potential effectiveness of the polygraph as an interrogatory prop and may provide ground for some optimism regarding the result. On the other hand, it is also possible that your polygrapher is simply not a very effective interrogator.

[SoloLemon]

Thanks alot George.  I actually just got the word that I passed!!!    I want to thank you and everyone else that has given me advice.  I really hope I never have to take another poly again, cuz I truly know it is BS.  THANKS AGAIN!!!!!

[George W. Maschke]

Congratulations, and good luck in the rest of the hiring process!

To help ensure that you'll never have to take another polygraph again, please consider writing to your congressional representative and senators and asking them to sponsor a Comprehensive Employee Polygraph Protection Act. (You can include with your letter a printout of the suggested language for such legislation, which is also available at pp. 179-190 of the 3rd edition of The Lie Behind the Lie Detector.)

In addition, please consider helping to shatter the myth of the lie detector. If you participate in other message boards, you could share there what you've learned here. You might also wish to participate in the Campus Poster Initiative. It's an easy, very low cost way to reach many people.

[ChrisG]

How long did you have to wait for the poly results?