Got some questions for my upcomming poly test

[Billy N.]

Hi everyone. I finished reading The Lie Behind Lie Detectors a little while ago and I have some questions.

1. I just want to get this straight, for the "control" questions, you want to make it look like your lying to make the charts read that your being truthful? The questions I answer honestly to are the ones where I need to apply the countermeasures, or is it the other way around?

2. For "relevant" questions, are you not supposed to apply any countermeasures? What if I have to lie on a "relevant" question?

Thanks for any help. I plan on reading the book again, but I just wanted to get this straight first. Thanks.

Billy

[George W. Maschke]

Billy,

In answer to your questions:

1) Apart from making no damaging admissions, the key to passing a polygraph "test" is to produce greater physiological responses to the "control" questions than to the relevant questions. Whether a question is a control question or a relevant question has no direct bearing on whether you answer the question honestly. It is apparent that you're still unclear on the concept of "control" questions; it would behoove you to review Chapter 3 of The Lie Behind the Lie Detector.

2) You should not augment your physiological reactions to any relevant question, or you will in all likelihood fail the "test." Again, review Chapter 3 of The Lie Behind the Lie Detector.