Gender, Ethnicity and Polygraphy

[Human Subject]

Has there been any research on differences in physiological responses to polygraph exam questions across genders and ethnicities?  Maybe even across age groups?

If polygraphy is valid, there should not be subtantial variance across groups, correct?

It seems like this information would be fascinating, regardless of one's opinion of polygraphy.

[suethem]

Human Subject,

I believe that the failure rate or maybe the false positive rate was found to be higher in minority males according to the DODPI's own study.

I remember reading something about that here on this site.  I will try to find it, if George or someone else doesn't beat me to it.

[orolan]

Human Subject,
I think it is commonly considered that polygraphs are quite useless with young children (under 8 years), because of their open innocence and susceptibly to manipulation. Their desire to "please" will in fact overcome any psychological or physiological response that may occur.
Polygraphs are also questionable in elderly people, whose minds may be degenerating due to Alzheimers or senility. As an example, my grandmother has to be reminded every week when I see her that yes, I did get married, and yes, I did have 3 kids. Hook her up to a polygraph and ask her if I have children and she'll tell you no. And the charts will show no deception. She also thinks my older brother is our father, who has been dead for 10 years.
Ethnicity is tough. No doubt the majority of persons confessing after a polygraph in a criminal investigation are minorities. But the majority of criminal investigations involve minorities. The question would be one of percentage relationships. But with the poly community totally unwilling to share or pool its data, allegedly out of "concern" for the subject's privacy, we'll never know.

[George W. Maschke]

Human Subject,

The DoDPI study to which Suethem referred (and which DoDPI attempted to suppress) may be downloaded here:

http://antipolygraph.org/documents/dodpi-racial-bias-study.pdf

In this study, innocent blacks failed to pass at a significantly higher rate than innocent whites.

[Saidme]

Orolan

Looks like you've finally come over to our side.  Congratulations.  Reading your post at least gives that impression.  You write:

"Hook her up to a polygraph and ask her if I have children and she'll tell you no. And the charts will show no deception."

I guess you've finally realized polygraph does discern between truth and deception.  

[suethem]

Saidme,

How about responding to the DODPI's findings.

Are you concerned that the polygraph seems to have a racial bias?

[orolan]

Saidme,
My bad. I should have written:
"Connect her to a physiological response measuring device and present her with the interrogative statement "Does ... have any biological offspring?" She will then reply in the negative, and the constant-rate recording device attached to the aforementioned physiological response measuring device will fail to record any variation in the various physiological phenomena it is designed to measure."

Better

I note that you choose not to offer an opinion about the initial post of this thread :-/

[Saidme]

The initial thread discussed Gender and Ethnicity so I'll respond to that.  In my experiences as a polygraph examiner I have found there to be no differences in the pass/fail rate among women/men or different races.  Again, in my experiences the deciding variable was truth or deception.  Those telling the truth passed, those lying failed.  After all, that's what polygraph is about.  Someone mentioned polygraphing an eight year old as an example.  I don't know any competent polygraph examiner who would polygraph an eight year old.  

[suethem]

Saidme,

I take it your not concerned about the DODPI's study that seems to show racial bias- since you didn't answer the question.

Now you don't seems to care about the findings of the pro-polygraph 'experts' either.  Hmm.

How can the polygraph just be about telling the truth or lying?

Your not starting to believe that there are no false positives, false negatives and countermeasures are you?

I used to hold you in higher regard than a 'true believer', but I am begining to think that you might not just be a 'utility' guy after all.

What happened? Did the brainwashing finally break you?

[Saidme]

I find it humorous that you anti-poly guys and gals put a lot of credibility into a DODPI study (racial bias study) that furthers your cause, yet you attack any DODPI study that perpetuates polygraph validity.  Does DODPI run better racial studies than validity studies.  Hmmmm.  Regarding Suethem's comments.  I base my beliefs on day-to-day running of polygraph examinations on women, men, black, white, asian, etc.  What do you base your belief's on?  George's "book report" (to quote another poster) and sad story about how he was denied a job with the FBI.  When you've ran a few thousand polygraph examinations (this goes out to you all) come back and let's talk.

[anonymouse]

When you've ran a few thousand polygraph examinations (this goes out to you all) come back and let's talk.

I guess he's talking about Doug Williams.

[Saidme]

That was a good one!

[suethem]

Saidme,

Don't care about racial bias and you work for the justice system?  Good grief!!!

If the only thing you care about is confessions, you should have been a priest.

[Saidme]

Suethem

Where did you I say I didn't care about racial bias?  I think I mentioned something about the antipoly folks using studies to further their own causes.  And by the way, there's not much difference between police officers and priests.

[orolan]

...there's not much difference between police officers and priests.

Very true, considering that police officers are getting accused almost as fast as priests of alleged "sexual improprieties"