Question on Control Questions...

[JMacadoo]

So first, if I understand correctly after reading "The Lie Behind the Lie Detector", the key to passing a polygraph test is creating greater physiological stress signals during control questions and suppressing them during relevant questions.

So does my answer "yes" or "no" on control questions factor into the examiner's reading, or is he strictly reading my physiological stressors?  For instance, if he asks me if I've ever lied before (which I have), am I to say "no" and create stressors or am I to say "yes" and create stressors?

[John M.]

JMacadoo,

Please keep in mind the immortal words of Dr. David T. Lykken, "No good social purpose can be served by inventing ways of beating the lie detector or deceiving polygraphers."

In other words, if you lied (and you said you did), shame on you for coming here looking for a way to deceive. And shame on whomever is relying on your polygraph results as proof of your truthfulness. It's ridiculous.

Unfortunately, every year, thousands of truthful job applicants and government employees fall victim to false positives, or what the "experts" call, "Significant Response".

Like Dr. Lykken said, "if I were somehow forced to take a polygraph test in relation to some important matter, I would certainly use these proven countermeasures rather than rely on the truth and my innocence as safeguards; an innocent suspect has nearly a 50:50 chance of failing a CQT administered under adversarial circumstances, and those odds are considerably worse than those involved in Russian roulette."

To sum it all up, had I known about these techniques five years ago, I could have saved myself a boatload of trouble.

[JMacadoo]

I am trying to give myself the best chance to pass this test by preparing.  It is too important a step in the hiring process (while unfortunately at the same time being unreliable) to just wing it.  Apologies if I came across as trying to be deceitful...  ok well maybe I am...  but it's because I do not want to put my faith into a test that is known for giving false positives... not because I have something to hide from the examiner.

So for the control questions, is the examiner factoring my "yes" or "no" into his reading of my physiological signals?  Or is he just strictly reading my physiological signals?

[George W. Maschke]

JMacadoo,

Refer back to page 104 of TLBTLD (5th edition). You don't really get to choose how to answer the "control" questions. The polygraph operator will review them with you in the "pre-test" phase and exclude any admissions you might make until you provide the expected answer (usually "no").