Module: Lie Detection Techniques (3/1)

CHAPTER VII
TEST PROCEDURE IN POLYGRAPH EXAMINATION

At the end of this chapter the students should be able to learn:

 Discuss the uses of polygraph examination;

 Identify the limitations of polygraph examination.

When a mentally normal person tells a lie, physiological changes occur within his/her
body that could be recorded by polygraph machine and evaluated by a polygraph
examiner.

WHAT TAKES PLACE DURING POLYGRAPH EXAMINATION?

The nervous control of the human body includes the Central Nervous System (CNS)-
(the brain and the spinal cord) and the automatic or regulating nervous system that
has two complimentary branches: the sympathetic and the parasympathetic nervous
system acting opposite to each other. When a person is under the influence of physical
exertion or emotional stimuli such as anger, excitement, fear, telling lie, etc. stimuli,
the sympathetic will prevail and override the parasympathetic, therefore, there will be
changes in the heart rate, pulse rate, blood pressure, respiratory tracing,
psychogalvanic reflexes, time of response to question, voice tracing, etc. The
parasympathetic nervous system works to bring back things to normal when the
conditions of stress have been removed. It is the prevailing branch when the situation
is normal and the subject is calm, contented and relaxed. When the subject is asked
a series of questions, the recording of the several psycho-physiological reaction and
the scientific interpretations are the bases of the tests by the polygraph examiner.

PURPOSES OF POLYGRAPH EXAMINATION

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The main purpose of the examination is to determine the truth or deception based on
the presence of emotional disturbances of the subject a appearing on the recorded
physiological responses to question relative to the case under investigation.

USES OF POLYGRAPH EXAMINATION

1. It serves as investigative aid for the investigators to:

a. confirm the statements of victims

b. ascertain the credibility of witnesses

c. asses the truthfulness of suspects.

2. It speeds up the process of investigation

3. It eliminates innocent subjects

OBJECTIVES OF POLYGRAPH EXAMINATION

1. Determine if the subject is telling the truth by verifying statements and/or

comparing conflicting statements.
2. Acquire additional investigative leads to the facts of an offense.

3. Locate fruits or tools of crime or whereabouts of wanted persons.

4. Identify the other persons involved.

5. Gain valuable information from unwilling subject.

The reliability of polygraph examination depends on the examiner, but the employment
of the polygraph has its limitations to include:

1. It is an invaluable aid but not a substitute for investigation

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2. It does not determine facts; it records responses from the subject knows to be
true

3. It is not a lie detector; it is scientific diagnostic instrument

4. It is as accurate as the examiner is competent

5. The test should not be administered until enough facts of the case have been
established to permit an examiner to prepare a complete set of suitable question.
6. A test should not be administered without the voluntary consent of the subject.

7. No indication will be given to any person or written in any report that a person
is guilty because he refuses to take the test.
8. The test should not be administered until the accusation has been explained to
the subject.
9. No attempt to use the polygraph for mental or physical evaluation of any person.

10. Examination should not be conducted to unfit subjects.

LIMITATIONS OF THE SUBJECT TO UNDERGO POLYGRAPH EXAMINATION

1. The subject must have a good night sleep atleast five (5) hours prior to the test.

2. The subject must refrain from smoking for atleast two (2) hours prior to the test.

3. The subject should not undergo prolonged interrogation prior to the test.

4. The subject must not have been subjected to physical abuse or body contact.
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5. The subject must refrain from drinking alcoholic beverages or any drugs 12
hours before the test.
6. The subject must not be suffering from any temporary illnesses like headache,
toothache, menstruation (female), colds, etc.
7. The subject should be physically fed.

8. The subject should not be engaged in sexual activities few hours before the
test.

Undergoing a lie detector test can be an intimidating experience that can challenge
the nerves of even the most enduring person. You are sitting there with wires and
tubes attached to and wrapped aound your body. Even if you have nothing to hide,
you could be afraid that the metal box instrument sitting next to you will say otherwise.
Polygraph examination is long process that can be divided into several phases.

HOW DOES THE PROCESS WORKS?

1. The examiner receives and reviews the facts of the case.

2. The examiner explains the test process to the subject and reviews the facts of
the case during pre-test interview.
3. The examiner designs the specific questions and read each question to the
subject to make sure each one is easily understood.
4. The polygraph instrument is attached on the subject’s body and he is given an
additional instruction.
5. The questions are read to the subject several times while the polygraph sensors
are attached on the subject’s body.
6. After charts (polygram) have been run, the examiner analyses the charts and
develops a numerical score for the test. This score results in a conclusion of
truthful, deceptive or inconclusive.
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7. The examiner will transmit the test result to the client verbally and a written
report maybe requested.

NOTE: Polygraph examination is conducted in a private room with no other person

permitted in the examination room during the test except if an interpreter is needed.

PHASE I. INITIAL INTERVIEW WITH THE INVESTIGATOR HANDLING THE CASE

It is essential to the examiner to obtain accurate information concerning all the

available facts and circumstances that form the basis for the suspicion or accusation
directed against the person to be examined in order to conduct a satisfactory
polygraph examination. If the victim or other witnesses to an occurrence are available,
they should be interviewed. Whenever several investigator have been working on the
case, they should be interviewed, otherwise the examiner may obtain only garbled
version of the facts of the case.

For better polygraph examination purposes than more verbal description or even
photographs, a crime scene sketch prepared by the investigator is preferred. Unless
the examiner is fully informed about the case, he will not be in the position to conduct
a sufficient pre-test interview with the subject. It is during this phase that the relevant,
irrelevant, control and sometimes, guilt complex questions are formulated. It is also
helpful to the examiner to know as much about the subject and his background as is
available. Such information facilitates the pre-test interview as well as post test
interrogation of a lying subject.

THIS PHASE INCLUDES:

1. Acquiring and evaluating the facts.

2. Determining the areas the subject needs to be asked.

3. The investigator must furnish the examiner the following:

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a. Sworn statement of the suspect, witness and victim/ complainant.

b. Incident or spot report.

c. Background investigation (BI) of suspects, witnesses, and victims/

complainants.

d. Rough sketch or pictures of the crime scene and other facts such as:

specific article and exact amount of money stolen peculiar aspect of the
offense or any strange set.
• The exact time of the commission of the offense

• Known facts about the suspect’s action or movement.

• Facts indicating any connection between the suspects, victims

and witnesses.
• Exact type of weapon, tool or firearm used

• Result of the laboratory test

• Unpublished facts of the offense known only by the victim,

suspects and the investigator of the case.

PHASE II. PRE-TEST INTERVIEW

The examiner pre-test interview with the subject prior to the test is considered
essential both for the purpose of conditioning the subject for the examination and also
to provoke and observe indications of guilt of innocence. The examiner should not hold
back any information from the subject about the instrument its attachment or recording.
This will serve to increase a lying subject concerned over possible detection.

The examiner should be friendly to the subject but reserve during the pre-test
interview. No accusatory approach is made in this phase. The subject himself is
usually the best source of information about his behavior.
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The primary purpose of the pre-test interview is to prepare or condition the subject for
the test. This phase includes:

1. The appraisal of the subject’s constitutional rights

2. Obtain subject’s consent to undergo polygraph test by signing statement

of consent.
3. The taking of personal data of the subject.

4. Determine his suitability as the subject

5. Clinical observation of the subject.

6. Evaluating the psychological evaluation of the subject.

7. Informing the subject of his involvement of the case investigated.

The type of test that the examiner will conduct is based on the pre-test interview. It
also serves to condition the subject physiologically for the test upon meeting the
subject for the first time. The polygraph examiner identifies himself and shakes hands
with the subject. He then guides the subject to sit on the chair. The examiner will also
pulls out a chair and set himself infront of the subject. The examiner then informs the
subject of his constitutional rights and proceed to secure the subject’s consent to
undergo polygraph examination. Should the subject given his consent, he is told to
sign a “statement of consent” in duplicate, then the examiner will ask the subject
whether he was already examined by other polygraph examiner for the same case or
other separate case.

If the answer of the subject is positive, the examiner will about inquire details of the
test as to where it was conducted, who conducted the test, the examiner will also ask
whether or not the subject was informed of the result of the past test that was
conducted if any. (As a matter of professional ethics, a polygraph examiner should not
continue the test if the subject was previously examined by any polygraphist for the
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same case, except, for a worthy cause or reason). After this, the examiner will then
obtain information regarding the subject’s biodata for file or reference.

Any person who shall be subjected to undergo polygraph examination should be

informed of the following rights:

1. To be examined by a qualified examiner.

2. To be determined if fit for the examination

3. To be informed of the reason for the lie detector test.

4. To have an explanation of the lie detector machine and what it does.

5. To give consent to the subject about the test.

6. Not to be compelled to undergo prolonged questioning.

7. Not to be exposed to oral criticism or abuse.

8. Not to be exposed to physical, mental, psychological abuse, and

9. To refuse to submit to the lie detector test.

PHASE III. THE ACTUAL TEST: THE CONDUCT OF INSTRUMENTATION

After the pre-test interview, the examiner will proceed to place the attachment of
polygraph components on the subject. In practice, the first to be attached is the
pneumograph, followed by the cardiosphymograph and the galvanograph. Review all
the questions being prepared with the subject before the actual examination is
conducted. The examiner should discourage any lengthy comments or statement by
the subject respecting the matter of incident under investigation or his disclaimer of
responsibility for it.
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Test instruction is given to the subject. Any movement of the body will have an effect
on the results of the chart paper. The answer of the subject is limited to YES or NO in
order to avoid distortion of tracing on the chart.

PHASE IV. POST TEST INTERVIEW/ INTERROGATION

This phase includes all consideration that bears on the examination just after the
instrument are turned off. If there are significant fluctuations that show up on the
polygraph test result that may signal the subject has been deceptive, especially if the
person displayed similar responses to the question that was repeatedly asked, the
examiner will then proceed to conduct short interrogation. The purpose of which is to
obtain confession or admission. However, if the chart of the polygraph indicates that
the subject is innocent, the examiner will just release the subject cordially and thanks
him/her for the cooperation shown.

Whether you pass or fail a polygraph examination, it will often have very little legal
importance. Often, defense lawyers boast that their client has passed a polygraph. Of
course, you will rarely hear of a defendant taking a polygraph if he/she failed it. In the
next lessons, you will learn on the legalities of polygraph examination and its
acceptability as court evidence.

Can a person be compelled to undergo lie detector test?

In as much as the test requires the subject to answer the question either by YES or
NO, it infers the use of intelligence and attention or other mental faculties which is
selfincriminatory. Therefore, you cannot compel a person to be subjected to the test.

Is there a best time of the day to conduct a polygraph examination?

Yes. Since it is important that the person tested be capable of the maximum reactions
(for scoring purposes), that person should be well rested prior to the
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examination. In other words, testing conducted in the morning will be more productive
than those examinations conducted in the later in the day and in the evening, these
significantly increases the risk of an inconclusive result. The person also should not
be tested right after the argument, interrogation or one day or work if possible.

Can a person below 18 years of age qualified to be a subject for polygraph

examination?

Yes, but the examiner must have first the consent of the parents or any guardian of
the person below 18. However, most examiners will not test anyone who is less than
12 years of age, except for extraordinary circumstances.

Can medication affect the result of the examination?

Yes, any drug or medication that suppresses normal activity of the CNS will reduce
the strength of reactions found on the polygraph charts, resulting in a higher likelihood
of inconclusive result. Examples of drugs are sedatives, anti-anxiety meds, blood
pressure stabilizer, etc. The medication will not change the outcome of the
examination but it serves to reduce the chances of resolving the problem.

Can a pregnant person be tested?

Yes, a pregnant person can become a subject of polygraph examination. If the fetus
is making excessive movements inside the womb or causing pain to the mother during
the test, the test should be stopped or should not begin.

Most examiners will not test pregnant woman under any circumstances but others
conduct examination to pregnant woman after the first trimester. Some examiners will
only test if there is a note from the woman’s physician that there are no complications
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from the pregnancy and the stress of taking a polygraph test would not have an impact
on the health of the mother of the fetus.

TOPICS VIDEO LINKS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAkI8I-bmfA
PHASES OF
POLYGRAPH
EXAMINATION

Polygraphy Part 6 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbuxWnD4WXg&t=39s

Lie Detection vs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MckjXl4Txp4

Polygraphy

References:
King-eo, Chester (2006). Introduction to Specific Lie Detection. Unpublished notes
from the University of the Cordilleras: Baguio City
http://www.truthverifier.com.html
http://wwwpolytest.org/polyfaq.htm