Control Questions That Seem Like Relevant Questions

[TossedByWaves75]

In the list of probable lies control questions, there are a number of questions that I'm concerned about showing a reaction to.

Since being on probation, have you lied to your probation officer?
Since being on probation, have you lied to your therapist?
Since being on probation, have you lied to the group?
Do you still want to engage in those sexual behaviors that you know are wrong?
Do you still want to engage in those sexual behaviors that you know are illegal?
Do you think you would sexually re-offend ever if you knew you would not get caught?
Are you lying to me about the last time you touched your penis while having a thought of a child?
Do you still want to have sexual contact with girls under 18 years old?

All these questions seem like if you show a reaction to them, you're going to have some questions to answer. For instance in the polygraph that I failed, I was asked the first three question in this above list. He failed me on a different question, and then said I also had a bit of a reaction about lying to my PO and therapist. So does that mean they are relevant questions or what?

I may be a bit of a dummy, but what exactly does caveat used mean?

[George W. Maschke]

Note that "control" questions are intended to seem relevant to the subject.

It is also not unusual for a polygraph operator to warn the subject of a polygraph screening "test" that he or she showed a reaction to one or more of the probable-lie "control" questions. This is an attempt to prevent the subject from concluding that he or she easily got away with lying on the "test."

In polygraphy, a "caveat" is a qualification made to a question. The most common caveat is, where some admission has been made, to preface the question with "Other than what you told me..." or "Other than what we discussed..."

[TossedByWaves75]

Okay, that makes sense.

However, there's something else I'm wondering about on the same topic. One of the members of my therapy group failed his poly as well. Turns out he lied on three of his questions and was called out on it. But what raises red flags to me is that one of the questions he failed is listed on your thread as a control question. How can he fail a control question?

I suppose it's possible they called him out on it and he admitted something. But I don't know if that is the case since he didn't say so to the group.

[George W. Maschke]

How can he fail a control question?

A polygraph operator might accuse a subject of reacting to or failing a probable-lie "control" question in an attempt to prevent the subject from concluding that he has beaten the polygraph.