Re: Drugs and the Poly

[George W. Maschke]

To the best of my knowledge, there are no studies on the effects of any medications on the outcome of polygraphic lie tests. However, there is no reason to expect that any substance would differentially affect reactions to "control" and relevant questions. The key to passing the "Control Question Test" (the most commonly used polygraphic lie test) is to exhibit stronger reactions to the "control" questions than to the relevant questions, and this is best achieved through non-pharmaceutical means such as those described in Chapter 4 of The Lie Behind the Lie Detector.

[1904]

I am wondering what the effect of certain psychotropic substances, specifically both benzodiazepines and derivitives (valium, xanax, rohypnol) or non-benzodiazepine hypnotics (Ambien, lunesta).  

What kind of effects do you folks think these substances might have on the responses of a subject who may be deliberately trying to hide something, and the converse.

Why should you care? There aren't any p/g examiners on the planet Roche.
Only Date Rapists. Keep your back to the wall dude.

[1904]

Hello Alcoholic Feline,

Thankfully I dont need sleeping tablets. If you need Rohypnol in order to sleep, I shudder to
think what you're hiding, or hiding from.

Judging by your choice of username on this site, I think the activity of Date Rape features high
on your 'must do' list.

Have you ever tried Redux and Duract? Take a bottle of each. Go on. You know you want to.
Redux will give you painful heart-valve failure, but Duract will ease the pain and finish the job.

But, we stray from the objectives of this site.
So, tell me. Are you a p/g examiner, or just an ordinary a-hole.

[Kalex]

On the subject of drugs and medications and pedophiles.

I am semi retired. Be that as it may, a woman was referred to me yesterday by our
local LE agency dealing with child molestation. She suspected that her husband has
been molesting their 2 yr old son, as he has lately been displaying innapropriate sexual
behaviour for a 2 yr old. (I wont repeat the behaviours so as not to upset sensitive readers)

The man in question is 32 yrs old. He is slightly overweight and hypertensive. Due to the
ongoing suspicions of his wife he is on Imipramine (anti-depressant) and Normodyne for
hypertension.

I interviewed him at length and concluded after an hour that he had committed the suspected
behaviours.

I hooked him up to my LX3000. He displayed virtually no reactions to any type of question.
I tried CVSA - and did get stress patterns to loaded questions, but the results over 4 charts
were terribly inconsistent.

I reverted to interviewing / passive interrogation after telling him (untruthfully) that he had failed both tests. He admitted to playing 'horsey' with his son, during which game he moved
the child vigorously over his pelvic area to bring him to a conclusion. He also admitted to using
the childs underwear as an aid when he mas***ed.

Interestingly, the perpetrator told me that he had been involved in sexual contact with an older man when he (perp) was 8 yrs old. He did not say he was molested - but had sexual
'contacts & experiences'.

In a separate interview, the childs mother told me that despite the fact that she had observed her husband as being " a bit effeminate" she had married because he was sweet and kind.
She also advised that he devised many ruses to avoid sexual relations with herself and when
he ran out of excuses, turned it into a 2 minute experience.

Conclusion 1: A lot of tears - both of them. AND !! she forgave him, on the basis that he must stop and not repeat the behaviour. (Oh Hell Yeah !! )

Conclusion 2: A highly stressed subject; one whom I expected to provide very responsive charts but did the opposite. I conclude that the combination of beta blocking and anti-depressant medications suppressed his psychophysiological reactions.

The APA will predictably NEVER commission research to prove the efficacy of many prescription medications in  suppressing the FOF responses. To throw the old cliche
" there is no research to prove the effects of meds etc" into the pot is somewhat disingenuous.

Many field examiners are aware of the limitations of polygraph and vsa when subjects are
taking certain medications. It is one of those issues that the DOD (Detection Of Deception)
Industry would prefer to keep off the table.