Important: Breath-holding as a Countermeasure

[George Maschke (Guest)]

At page 76 of The Lie Behind the Lie Detector, regarding the use of breathing manipulations as a polygraph countermeasure, we wrote:

1. After answering the "control" question, hold your breath for
5-20 seconds, but no longer than the beginning of the next
question. Williams (1996) cautions that while this breathing
countermeasure is the easiest, it is also the least desirable.

Note that if breath-holding is to be used as a countermeasure, it should only be done after exhalation. That is, you should not breathe in and then hold your breath. Breathe out, and pause before breathing in again.

Polygrapher James Allen Matte writes at p. 374 of Forensic Psychophysiology Using the Polygraph:

Apnea

An apnea is a momentary cessation of breathing by Holding at the end of the inspiration limb of the breathing cycle, or Blocking at the end of the expiration limb of the breathing cycle.

Caution: An inspiration apnea (holding) is usually a voluntary action which should be viewed as a suspected countermeasure if it occurs in the green zone or both in the green and red zone, whereas an expiration apnea (blocking) is usually an involuntary action of the pneumotaxic center of the Pons, constituting a legitimate reaction.

Dr. Matte defines the terms "green zone" and "red zone" as follows:

Green Zone: A twenty to thirty-five seconds block of polygraph chart time initiated by a non-current exclusive control question having a unique psychological focusing appeal to the innocent (truthful) examinee.

Red Zone: A twenty to thirty-five seconds block of polygraph chart time initiated by a relevant question having a unique psychological focusing appeal to the guilty (deceptive) examinee.

That is, the "green zone" is the 20-35 seconds following a "control" question and the "red zone" is the 20-35 seconds following a relevant question.

Last modification: George Maschke - 01/07/01 at 02:43:35


Last modification: George Maschke - 01/07/01 at 02:45:11