I read the book. Still confused. Is this a control question?

[Scared Probationer]

I have taken and passed several polygraphs for probation using the knowledge from Behind the Lie Detector, which I re-read before each one.

The test is kind of weird. There are no obvious control questions. Just a "The test is about to begin", which I always assumed was used as a control question. This time though, I got either a DI or an Inconclusive (not yet sure which) on one of the questions, so I figured I must have been wrong.

Most of the questions are obviously relevant. Out of the 5-7, the only one that could possibly be a control question is "Since May of 2014, have you done anything your probation officer might think is a bad decision and be surprised about?"

It kind of sounds like a control question, but I can't be sure. If it is, it's the only one. The only irrelevant questions are 2 at the beginning to soak up the reaction following "the test is about to begin." Is it possible that a test by a career polygrapher could have only one (the test is about to begin) or two (that, and the bad decision one) control questions?

I might have to retest soon so I need to know asap whether to use countermeasures on that particular question or not. Any information is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

[George W. Maschke]

"Since May of 2014, have you done anything your probation officer might think is a bad decision and be surprised about?"

This is a probable-lie "control" question. I'm not aware of any technique used in post-conviction polygraph screening that has just one "control" question.

[Scared Probationer]

Thanks alot for the quick response, and for taking the time out of your day to help me and others.

I may have/get to retake it, and if/when I do, I want to be prepared. Is it possible that it could have more relevant questions than control questions? Maybe 2 control questions for 5 relevant questions?

I thought of another one that might be a control question. He asks "Have you been completely honest about the person you represent yourself to be to your treatment provider?" I'm thinking maybe the word "completely" is supposed to make me think about whether I've ever been misleading, thereby eliciting a reaction. Is that correct?

Also, do you (or anyone else) know what the cutoff range is for the PolyScore algorithm? I know my score, but I don't know whether it was DI or inconclusive. It would relieve alot of stress for me to know it was inconclusive.

[George W. Maschke]

"Have you been completely honest about the person you represent yourself to be to your treatment provider?"

This is also a probable-lie "control" question.

I am not aware of any polygraph technique that has a 2:5 ratio of "control" to relevant questions.

With respect to PolyScore, polygraph operators typically rely on their hand-scoring instead. Sometimes they invoke PolyScore--when it coincides with their hand-scoring--to try to bamboozle examinees (and at times, the public) with respect to how accurate and decisive the "test" results were.

[Scared Probationer]

Thank you again. Forgive me for all the questions but I really want to understand so I don't mess up again. I appreciate your time, and want you to know that your replies aren't only helping me. I expose polygraphy to people and refer them here every chance I get, and the more I understand, the more I'll be able to help as well.

What about these questions makes them control questions? I want to be able to recognize other ones next time but these seem pretty relevant. If I was the polygrapher I would want to know "oh really, how have you misrepresented yourself? And what bad decisions have you made that would surprise your po?"

With regard to polyscore, I ask about it because I happened to catch a glimpse of the horizontal score list, and I want to know whether the question I am concerned about was DI or inconclusive. Do you think the actual results of my polygraph may differ from what PolyScore said? In other words, of PolyScore does say DI or inconclusive, might the polygrapher instead see it as inconclusive or NDI respectively?

[George W. Maschke]

In post-conviction polygraph programs, the relevant questions are typically about things that constitute a violation of the terms of probation or parole, while the "control" questions are about conduct or thoughts that fall short of that.

It is possible that a polygrapher's hand scoring will differ from that of PolyScore. I recall that such was the case in celebrity polygraph operator Ed Gelb's polygraph examination of Larry Sinclair, who in 2008 claimed to have had a sexual liaison and used cocaine with then presidential candidate Barack Obama. As I noted in my critique and evaluation of that polygraph examination, PolyScore suggested that Sinclair was truthful, with a probability of deception of less than one percent, but Gelb nonetheless declared him deceptive. Gordon Barland, a retired federal polygraph researcher, also reviewed the charts and scored them as deceptive.