LVA information

[Rowangovender]

I was recently subjected to an LVA test under duress. I say under duress in that other people were made aware of the fact that several people (myself included) had to take the test. I was afraid that if I didn't take the test my colleagues would assume that I was guilty (since no one had explained to us the details of the process) and so submitted a consent form but changed the various parts of it so that I had a better legal standing.

As a show of faith and in order to prove my innocence to my colleagues I took the test. I was later informed that I was the only person to fail this test. I was extremely stressed at the time and the type of questions they asked started simply but the later ones involved remembering specific details and reciting them back which due to the pressure of the event I struggled with.

I have since been asked not to work the tills at my place of work (which I am quite happy to do since it means less work for me) but that I will be later asked to take a polygraph test (which I have already informed them that I refuse to take).

Basically I am looking for independent research regarding LVA's so that I can use it to dispute the validity of the LVA test since I know I am innocent. Once I have gathered enough material that I can reference I will present my findings to my employer.

Now unfortunately for myself, I am a highly emotional and paranoid type of person with very low self confidence. I know this will affect the result as my mind starts working against me even when I am telling the truth. It sucks and I try to work on it every day but circumstances like this only help feed my problem!

Please help!

[pixkbi]

i assume your test was given by a Law Enforcement Agency and that you work for a government agency. If not there are two things you should know.. first before an employer can ask you to be tested an internal investigation must be conducted and "reasonable cause" established that you are the person that committed the theft.  this notice must be in writing and detail the "reasonable cause". access alone is not reasonable cause.  Second, Layered Voice Strees analysis is prohibited under the federal law for these kind of tests.  Only government entity is expempted from both of these requirement.  If the test was given by a law enforcment agency, a private employer is not entitled to the results of the test and violates the law by receiving it.

there is no peer reviewed research showing any validity to voice stress analysis.

if you fit these descriptions you should contact an attorney familiar with the Employee Polygraph Protection Act and the Department of Labor.

[Rowangovender]

Thanks for your reply.

I am actually from South Africa and the official stance from the CCMA (which is an independent body that looks after the rights of employees) is that any kind of test is not valid unless it is backed up by evidence. (I.E. A video showing you committing the crime or a witness).

As I sit here and actually started typing out the story I realised that there is nothing indicating that I actually committed a crime, except as I have stated to my boss several times "I am only guilty of being in the wrong place at the wrong time". I am just being paranoid as usual. I have support from people who are in management, but are not in the highest levels.

Their main suspect (the person who was working on all the days that money went missing) actually passed the LVA and has since resigned. He is however threatening the company with legal action due to the fact that the whole process involved discrimination and victimisation of people by my boss.

I don't really care if this guy did or didn't steal. I just want to make sure that since my boss seems to be focusing a lot of attention on me that I am covered.

[T.M. Cullen]

Rowan,

Bottom line on polygraph or LVA:

1.  Make NO admissions!
2.  Make NO admissions!
and
3.  Make NO admissions!

These so-called tests are all about intimidating and getting the person to SELF incriminate under intimidating conditions.  IOW, an interrogation disguised as a test. 

They probably can not legally terminate you based soley on the results.  So they need to trick you into volunteering info they can distort and use against you.

TC

P.S. Most people, like yourself, want to cooperate and readily volunteer for such nonesense because the BELIEVE the tests are accurate.     Practitioners try to put their pseudo scientific art into the category of finger print analysis, DNA...etc.    Which is to say, ACTUAL evidence.  It's a load of elephant crap.  Don't buy it!  Just call their bluff!

Good Luck

[George W. Maschke]

"Layered Voice Analysis" (LVA) is a pseudoscientific fraud and its creator, Amir Liberman, is a charlatan. For a thorough refutation of LVA, see "Charlatanry in forensic speech science: A problem to be taken seriously" by Anders Eriksson and Francisco Lacerda:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/9673590/Eriksson-Lacerda-2007

For more on Amir Liberman, the man behind LVA and the company that markets it, see "Nemesysco Founder Amir Liberman Is a Charlatan":

https://antipolygraph.org/blog/?p=245

[Rowangovender]

Thanks guys!

It's great to see a community here that's got information to help people who aren't necessarily in the know about these kind of things.

Again, thanks!