i have a polygraph coming up in 5 days

[audirob19]

this polygraph is being given to me because my dad is suspicious of me doing things illegally for money. my dad is a hard ass and does not approve of gambling as a source of income. but gambling is what i have been doing. i would describe myself as a super chill person who NEVER worries really about anything. so i will not go in nervous or anything. but i still know i should augment something either physically or mentally in order to pass. my question is to george m. do u think a lot of people fail because they are mentally going crazy in trying to figure out whether a question is a control question or irrelevant question? i mean am i better off using mental arithmatic on every question other than the ' relavent' question so that i am not preocupied by all that. i mean if the ' irrelavant' questions do not get counted anyways and the only ones that get counted r the ' control questions' and the ' relavant ' questions should i just tell myself that on every question but the ' relevant' questions i should do some mental arithmatic? also for the breathing should i just breathe the same way the whole test no matter what question is being asked? i mean is the mental arithmatic enough? or do i augment my breathing on all the questions other than my ' relavent' questions in which i breathe at my normal state.

[George W. Maschke]

The answer to each of your questions is, "No." Review Chapters 3 & 4 of The Lie Behind the Lie Detector.

Note in particular that one should decide during the pre-test phase which questions are relevant and which are "controls." If in doubt about the question, err on the side of caution and assume it to be relevant.

[audirob19]

thanks a lot. last time i took one i remember there being about 9 questions. if im not sure whether one is relavent or control i know i should lean and be safe and go with the relavent but say i can only detect around 2 control questions is that enough? and also isnt the machine on during the " pre test"

[George W. Maschke]

While failing to show a reation to a "control' question may lead to one's failure to pass, mistakenly augmenting reactions to a relevant question is quite likely to result in one's failing.

The polygraph attachments are usually not attached to the examinee during the pre-test interview.