FBI to Expand Polygraph Screening

[Fred F.]

You can be assured by the "professional FP's" as those who do polygraphs love to annoint themselves, will be completely "unbiased and without prejudice when Director Freeh is "hooked up". If that is to be believed then Aldrich Ames should be the next person to receive a Presidential Pardon. Director Freeh knows that the chances of him being failed are nill. Jane Doe III nailed it perfectly, He is insulting his subordinates with this fallacy and Let's see him defend one of his "best" when they cant pass.
I can see SA's sweeping pencil shavings off the carpet while they are investigated and have their careers ruined, just ask Mark Mallah.

The Cheesy Smiley tells it all.

[George W. Maschke]

Your site does not have sufficient memory allocation for the number of zeros that would precede the first significant number in the decimal representation of such a probability

That memory constraint might also preclude posting of the negative exponent that would be required if scientific notation were to be used instead.  

(Posts to this message board are limited to 5,000 characters including spaces).

[G Scalabr]

Like Mark, I have received information suggesting that for current government employees, it might not be the best idea to follow our original advice and skip any "post-test" interrogation.

In certain situations (DOE, DoD), statistics appear to indicate that those who make no-significant admissions during the polygraph are "passed" regardless of how their charts should be scored in polygraph doctrine.  Therefore, current employees at these agencies might be better off not bolting from a "post-test interview," as this may be reported as "failure to submit to the polygraph" by the examiner.  Still, those who remain for the "post-test interview" should be extremely careful.

More info on what type of behavior that polygraphers view as truthful can be found in the DoDPI Interview and Interrogation Handbook .  We also plan to cover this area in the 2nd edition of The Lie Behind the Lie Detector, which we anticipate will be available some time this summer.  

In pre-employment processes, it appears that applicants (at least for most federal agencies) are not being permitted to "explain away" a deceptive chart.  Once an examinee's chart is scored as "deceptive," the employment application is nearly always terminated.  One wonders why "post-test" interrogations are still conducted even when those who participate and make no admissions are still rejected.  

In this situation, there is nothing to gain by remaining.  Still, if we had advised in The Lie Behind the Lie Detector to immediately bolt from the room upon being called deceptive, polygraphers could find out who has read the book by simply announcing everyone deceptive and looking to see who leaves.

Therefore, one must be extremely tactful in this situation.  I suggest staying for at least the start of the post-test "interview."  Be sure to remember one thing.  Any attempt to explain a reaction to a relevant question may be shaped by the polygrapher into a false admission.  If the polygrapher backs you into a corner of the room and begins to rephrase and repeat the same questions ad nauseam, one should not "take any bait" by responding to individual questions.  Instead, counter him with general denials (i.e. "At no time have I ever used or sold illegal drugs").  If he keeps at you, try to get him to bring the interrogation to an end (perhaps by commenting "I've already told you that I have never used or sold illegal drugs--I have nothing else to say").  If he still keeps at you, politely end the interview.  Whatever you do, do not get into a conversation with him and attempt to explain the "deceptive" chart.  

[Nate]

FYI, this survey was done on www.IWON.com

Survey for May 15, 2001
FBI Under Fire

1.
Timothy McVeigh, found guilty for the 1995 bombing of an Oklahoma City federal building that left 168 people dead, last week had his May 16 execution postponed until June 11 by Attorney General John Ashcroft when it was discovered that the FBI mistakenly withheld over 3,000 pages of investigation reports during McVeigh's trial.

Do you agree with Ashcroft's decision to delay Timothy McVeigh's execution?
  53% Yes  
  35% No
  11% I'm not sure/I don't know enough about the case

2.
Senator Charles E. Schumer, a Democrat from New York, has called upon President Bush to conduct a "top-to-bottom review" of the FBI due to a number of recent concerns such as the McVeigh documents and agent Robert Hanssen's arrest on charges of spying. Do you agree with Senator Schumer's request?
  72% Yes
  12% No
  14% I'm not sure/I do not know enough about the case

3.
Assuming the misplaced FBI documents cast no doubt on McVeigh's 1997 guilty verdict, do you support his execution?
  78% Yes
  13% No
  8% I'm not sure/I do not know enough about the case