1

COLLEGE OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE

Carlos Hilado Memorial State College
Brgy. Enclaro, Binalbagan, Negros Occidental

LIE
DETEC
TION
TECHN
IQUES
(FOR11
5)
Module
4
INSTRUCTORS:

LORIEJEN FIDELSON – DEQUILATO, RCRIM., MSCJ

PURISIMA G. ROMERO, RCRIM., MSCJ

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THE POLYGRAPH TECHNIQUE

LESSON OBJECTIVES:
 Be familiar with the components of the polygrapah machine, where are they
attached and their respective function
 Explore the proper technique in question formulation

INTRODUCTION:

A polygraph test is administered to determine whether or not statements made by

the subject taking the test are deceptive. During the test, the subject is monitored by a
polygraph machine and interrogated by an administrator trained in forensic
psychophysiology. The machine measures changes in the subject's blood pressure, heart
rate, respiration rate and sweat production. The theory underlying the polygraph test is
that a person who is lying exhibits involuntary physiological responses that can be detected
by the polygraph instrument. These changes include rapid breathing and heartbeat and
increased blood pressure and perspiration.

LESSON 1:

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There are 4 components of the polygraph machine:

Name of Specific Instrument Where it is What does it

Component attached? record?

PNEUMOGRAPH TUBES (2)

PNEUMOGRAPH Thoracic region BREATHING
*Corrugated rubber tubing (about (chest area)
7 inches in length) (Inhalation and
Abdomen Exhalation)

*Note: Occupies the 1st

The and 2nd pen of the
pneumograph polygraph chart
for abdomen is
attached first to
avoid pressing
the other sensor.

CARDIOGRAPH ARM CUFF WITH BULB used for Attached at the Records the
inflation of air arm directly changes in blood
above the pressure and
Brachial artery of strength of pulse
the subject beat

Occupies the 4th

pen in the
polygraph chart

*sometimes even
5th pen depending
on the
model/type of
polygraph
machine used
GALVANOGRAPH FINGER ELECTRODES Attached to the Records the GSR
index and ring or the Galvanic
finger of the left Skin
hand or in other Reflex/electro
model of digital dermal responses
polygraph, of the subject
palmar and
dorsal surfaces of Occupies the
the left hand longest and 3rd
pen of the
polygraph

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machine

KYMOGRAPH

Is the chart-drive
recording unit of the
instrument. It has a
synchronized motor
that drives the
chart at a rate of six
(6) to twelve (12)
inches per minute.
The speed constant
is vital because the
vertical lines, which
are spaced either at
one-half (1/2) of an
inch interval,
represents the five
(5) to ten (10)
seconds interval on
the chart.

LESSON 2:

QUESTION FORMULATION:

POLYGRAPH QUESTIONING TECHNIQUES

All polygraph questioning techniques that aim at some form of standardization or

reproducibility involve comparisons of physiological responses to questions of central
interest for the investigation or screening (“relevant questions”) against physiological
responses to other questions (“comparison questions”). Questioning techniques may differ in
the nature of the comparison questions, the sequencing of questions, or the choice of which
comparison questions in a sequence of questions will be compared with which relevant
questions. They are also typically associated with particular approaches to conducting
pretest interviews and interpreting polygraph charts. This appendix briefly describes some of
the main polygraph questioning techniques and some of their variants.

All polygraph testing techniques normally begin with a pretest interview. The examinee and
examiner discuss the test, test procedure, examinee’s medical history, and details of the test
issues. The examiner also observes the behavior of the examinee and, in test formats that
allow for discretion in question design, may gather information to be used in choosing
comparison questions for the test. Depending on the complexity of the case, examiner-

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examinee interactions, and testing technique, the pretest interview may last from 30 minutes
to 2 hours or longer (Krapohl and Sturm, 2001).
 RELEVANT-IRRELEVANT TEST

As its name implies, the relevant-irrelevant test format compares examinee

responses to relevant and irrelevant questions. A relevant question is one that deals with the
real issue of concern to the investigation. These questions include asking whether the
examinee perpetrated the target act or knows who did it and perhaps questions about
particular pieces of evidence that would incriminate the guilty person. An irrelevant question
is one designed to provoke no emotion (e.g., “Is today Friday?). Irrelevant questions are
typically placed in the first position of a question list because the physiological responses
that follow the presentation of the first question are presumed to have no diagnostic value;
they are also placed at other points in the question sequence. Guilty examinees are expected
to show stronger reactions to relevant than to irrelevant questions; innocent examinees are
expected to react similarly to both question types.

The relevant-irrelevant test format was the first widely used polygraph testing format
and was long the dominant format. The format was originally used in criminal testing.
Currently, it is also used in multiple-issue screening applications, for example, at the U.S.
National Security Agency.

Relevant-irrelevant polygraph tests are not normally standardized for question

selection or for interpretation. Examiners typically interpret the test results globally by
inspecting the charts to see whether or not there is a pattern of stronger responses to
relevant questions. The lack of standard procedures for administration and scoring makes
the relevant-irrelevant test unsuitable for scientific evaluation. It is not possible to support
general conclusions about its accuracy because the procedure can vary uncontrollably across
examiners and examinations. Polygraph researchers generally consider the test outmoded.
For example, Raskin and Honts (2002:5) conclude that the relevant-irrelevant test “does not
satisfy the basic requirements of a psychophysiological test and should not be used.”

 COMPARISON QUESTION (CONTROL QUESTION) TEST

Comparison question tests (also called control question tests) compare examinees’
responses to relevant questions to their responses to other questions that are believed to
elicit physiological reactions from innocent examinees. Relevant questions are defined as in
the relevant-irrelevant test. Comparison questions ask about general undesirable acts,
sometimes of the type of an event under investigation. For example, in a burglary
investigation, one comparison question might be “Have youever stolen anything?” In
probable-lie comparison question tests, the instructions are designed to induce innocent
people to answer in the negative, even though most are lying. Innocent examinees are
expected to experience concern about these answers that shows in their physiological
responses. In directed-lie tests, examinees are instructed to respond negatively and
untruthfully to comparison questions (e.g., “During the first 20 years of your life, did you
ever tell even one lie?”). In both forms of test, the expectation is that innocent examinees will
react more strongly to the comparison questions, and guilty examinees will react more
strongly to relevant questions.

Comparison question tests are widely applicable and are used both in specific-
incident investigation and in screening. Some of the varieties of comparison question tests
are described very briefly below. They vary in question selection, test construction, test
scoring and interpretation, and other characteristics not discussed here (see Raskin and
Honts, 2002, for more detail).

 REID COMPARISON QUESTION TEST

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The Reid comparison question test, also known as the modified general question test,
was the earliest form of comparison question test. It includes probable-lie comparison
questions and is interpreted by the examiner’s global evaluation of the charts, combined with
other observations made during the examination. Other characteristics of the test include a
discussion of the examinee’s moral values during the test procedure and the use of a
“stimulation” test between the first and second presentations of the questions (see Reid and
Inbau [1977] or Raskin and Honts [2002] for more detail).

 ZONE COMPARISON TEST

The zone comparison test, which was developed by Backster (1963), is named for the
three “zones” or blocks of time during the test: the relevant questions (called the red zone),
the probable-lie comparison questions (the green zone), and other questions (the black
zone). Black zone questions are included to uncover examinee concerns about an issue
outside of the scope of the red and green zones, such as involvement in another crime. Each
zone is presumed to be threatening to someone; however, depending on the examinee’s
mental set, it is anticipated that one particular zone is more threatening than are the other
two (information from Donald Krapohl, U.S. Department of Defense Polygraph Institute,
private communication, October 5, 2001). This was the first comparison question test to
incorporate a numerical scoring system. It used a seven-point rating scale applied to each
physiological measure for each relevant question on the test.

 UTAH PROBABLE-LIE TEST

The Utah probable-lie test, developed by Raskin and colleagues (Raskin and Honts,
2002) is constructed with question modules, typically consisting of irrelevant, probable-lie
comparison, and relevant questions. Examiners are instructed to conduct the test, including
the pretest interview, in the low-key manner of a psychological interview rather than in the
confrontational manner of an interrogation that is common in some other questioning
formats: “It is critical that the examiner’s demeanor and behavior be professional and
objective” (Raskin and Honts, 2002:18). Attention is paid to going over the questions with
the examinee carefully during the pretest period. Charts are scored on a numerical scale that
is a modification of the one developed for the zone comparison test. Computer interpretation
programs have also been developed for this test.

 STIMULATION TEST

The stimulation test, sometimes called the stim test or acquaintance test, is used by
examiners in some test formats either during the pretest or between charts. Examinees are
presented with a question set of very similar items and directed to lie about one. The
examinee may be asked to pick one of several playing cards (card test) or to pick a number
between three and seven (numbers test), and then to deny having picked each of the cards or
numbers while connected to the polygraph machine. The main purpose of the procedure is to
induce or strengthen in examinees the expectation that the polygraph can accurately
determine the truthfulness of their answers.

 CONCEALED INFORMATION TEST

Concealed information tests (more often called guilty knowledge or concealed

knowledge tests) present examinees with sets of very similar items, much in the manner of
stimulation tests, except that the similar items include one true and several (usually, four)
false details of some aspect of an incident under investigation that has not been publicized,
so that the true answer would be known only to the investigators and to those present at the

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incident. In a burglary, examinees might be asked about several possible points of entry into
the house, one of which the burglar actually used. (For more detail about question
construction and administration of concealed information tests, see Nakayama [2002].)
When an examinee is asked whether he or she used each of these routes, the answer is
expected to be negative regardless of the examinee’s innocence or guilt. Guilty examinees are
expected to reveal their concealed knowledge by responding more strongly to the true item
than to the others.

Concealed information tests are applicable only under restricted conditions: when there is a
specific incident, activity, or thing that can be the subject of questioning and when there are
several relevant details that are known only to investigators and those present at the
incident. Thus, these tests are not applicable in typical screening situations in which the only
possible relevant questions concern generic events, such as unspecified acts of espionage that
may or may not have occurred.

 PEAK-OF-TENSION TEST

The peak-of-tension test is similar in format to concealed information tests, but is

distinct because questions are asked in an easily recognized order (e.g., “Was the amount of
stolen money $1,000? $2,000? $3,000?” etc.). A guilty examinee is expected to show a
pattern of responsiveness that increases as the correct alternative approaches in the question
sequence and decreases when it has passed. Stimulation tests often have this format. In a
known-solution peak-of-tension test, the examiner knows which alternative is the one truly
connected to the incident and evaluates the examinee’s pattern of responses for evidence of
involvement in the incident. It is also possible to use the peak-of-tension test in a searching
mode when the examiner does not know which answer is connected to the event but wants to
use the test for help in an investigation. It is assumed that the pattern of a guilty person’s
autonomic responses will reveal the correct answer.

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