Relevant/Irrelevant question

[Question guy]

Could you just bite your tongue throughout a whole R/IR test and pass?

i read the book but cant figure out how to be prepared for a R/IR test

[stefano]

Could you just bite your tongue throughout a whole R/IR test and pass? 

Guy, forgive me, but your question is demonstrative of the fact that you need to garner more insight into polygraph countermeasures. What you propose in your question is attempted sabotage, not countermeasures, and I think it would be discernible to the polygrapher. The strategy calls for randomizing your reactions so that no pattern can be established. I suggest you read TLBTLD a few more times.

[that same guy]

So on the R/IR do you just randomize when you do it? I understand the control question scenario, but I don't get it on R/IR tests, and I've read the book several times

[stefano]

Guy, in this kind of 'test' you would be asked several relevant questions buffered by irrelevant questions on either side. This would be repeated over a few charts. The polygrapher looks for consistent, specific and significant reactions to certain questions. Varying your reactions randomly on these questions from chart to chart prevents any such conclusion. But I must emphasize that your countermeasures must be skillfully executed and thus requires practice. If you go in there haphazardly biting your tongue, it would most likely be noticed.

**George, there is room for improvement in this section of TLBTLD.