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Even if you think that a lie detector test is not for you, perhaps someday you will have to take one too. This type of testing is often used when hiring for large corporations, checking full-time employees, or when checking information when approving a loan or insurance. How to go through it with dignity and keep your secrets to yourself, you will learn from this article.

website I decided to figure out whether the internal attitude affects the success of passing the test and whether it is possible to prepare your psyche correctly. And at the end of the article there is a bonus: in what cases can you refuse testing with a clear conscience.

How does a polygraph work?

The polygraph, of course, does not track lies by themselves. It records the physiological changes that occur in the body when a person lies: pulse, sweating, breathing rhythm, blood pressure.

State-of-the-art detectors can monitor up to 50 types of different reactions, for example, the expansion of capillaries - an instant reflex to a shocking question. But still, most companies use standard reaction studies.

Experts say that interpreting results is more of an art than a science, since these results are highly dependent on the qualifications and experience of the polygraph examiner. He must select questions for each individual, take into account all the differences in physiology between different people and be able to interpret them correctly.

6 ways to prepare your psyche

1. Be physically prepared

Take care of yourself the day before the test. You must:

get some sleep;
not to be hungry or overeat;
feel comfortable in your clothes.

It's normal to be nervous. Moreover, it will help you pass the test successfully. Those who are nervous about every answer are statistically the most accurate.

If you feel that your results may be misinterpreted due to nerves, then the following technique will do.

To test your basic physiological responses, you will be specifically asked to lie using test questions. They are fairly easy to distinguish from important ones because they are general rather than specific.

And here, be careful. If you start to get nervous about answering everything control questions, then when answering important questions, your reactions will be regarded by the polygraph as “truth”, especially if you deliberately try to remain calm.

Example of a security question: "Have you ever stolen?"
Example of an important question: “Did you steal anything from your last job?”

You can make yourself nervous by thinking about something unpleasant, scary, or trying to solve some difficult problem in your mind.

3. Try not to lie about small things.

If you have nothing to be ashamed of or hide, try to answer all questions truthfully. The more often you tell the truth, the more accurate the results will be. People are often prone to lying about small things, and they are confident that they will be asked trap questions when taking the test.

But experts assure that the questions are asked as simple as possible, in accordance with the very ethics of testing, and there should be no surprises. Moreover, you will know them in advance even before testing. This is done in order to eliminate the reaction to novelty.

4. Take your time

Depending on the specific test, each question can be asked 3 to 6 times. Therefore, there is no need to rush to answer; the very feeling of haste can distort the results.

Listen to the question to the end, realize whether you really understand what is being asked, tune in - and only then answer.

This method is considered successful, but is suitable only for those who really know how to control themselves. Because it is easier to be nervous and cause negative reactions than positive ones.

When thinking about the answer to a question and realizing that you need to tell a lie, imagine something as pleasant as possible for you. Or be relaxed throughout the test. Create in your imagination some carefree little world that will help you stay calm: let these be the most pleasant dreams, and then the body’s reaction will be ideal!

History of the creation of the polygraph

Since ancient times, humanity has been worried about the question: “Is this person telling the truth?” The answer to this question was, is and will be very important for the following reasons:
- can we trust this person?
- can we trust the information received from this person?
- How correct will be the decision made on the basis of the information received?
- will the person achieve his goals?
- Is this person guilty of what happened?

At different times, there were different methods for obtaining truthful information. At the dawn of human development, these were mainly methods of physical pressure and gross psychological violence. It's hard not to tell the truth when you're being crucified on the rack!

It's difficult, but it's possible! History knows of cases when the tortured never told the truth. However, from the point of view of effectiveness, the methods are quite effective, but only in relation to the culprit. If a person is not guilty, then, often, unable to withstand torture, he took the blame upon himself, which, from the point of view of analyzing methods for obtaining truthful information, made the use of torture and similar methods completely meaningless. And the most significant disadvantage of these methods is that they are not acceptable from the point of view of human morality: after torture, a person remained disabled and often died.

As soon as psychology was born, as the science of behavior and processes in the human psyche, psychologists began to analyze and identify signs that clearly indicate that a person is lying. What has not been suggested as such signs?! Does he look away during a conversation? Are your hands shaking? Are there red spots? Liar!

But over time, psychologists developed an understanding that there are no one or two signs with 100% probability that indicate whether a person is lying or not.

In the middle of the last century, a breakthrough occurred in this issue, when several parameters of the life activity of a person telling a lie were analyzed simultaneously. It turned out that a lie, as it were, forms a kind of “hotbed” in the brain, which has a complex effect on the human body on a subconscious level. That is, the body of a person who is telling a lie cannot simultaneously control changes in many indicators of its vital activity. If you can suppress the trembling of your fingers and changes in breathing, then you don’t have enough “strength” to control your blood pressure. What if you also measure your pulse?!

This discovery of psychologists formed the basis for the creation polygraph(“poly” - a lot, “graph” - I write, lat.) - a device that simultaneously records several physiological parameters of a person. And based on an analysis of changes in all parameters, a polygraph examiner can with a high probability conclude whether the person being tested is lying or telling the truth.

How does a polygraph work?

Modern “lie detectors” can simultaneously take and record up to 10 vital signs of the body. Starting with classic measurements of pulse and pressure, and ending with measurements of galvanic skin response and changes in voice timbre. In this case, the device automatically analyzes these indicators and signals the polygraph examiner about their changes, calculating the degree of “sincerity” of the person being assessed.

How does a polygraph test work?

Modern procedure polygraph testing differs significantly from medieval "torture chamber" methods. The test should be carried out in a quiet room with a neutral environment in which the test person’s gaze does not “catch”. Before the test, the specialist needs to communicate with the subject, telling him about what is happening. He should tell you in sufficient detail about the topic of the interview, the questions asked and the testing procedure. As a result of communication, the test taker should calm down and be constructively disposed to the test. It is not allowed to check a person who is under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or who is behaving emotionally inappropriately.

For several minutes, the polygraph examiner writes down the parameters measured by the polygraph on the computer in silence, as if “calibrating” the machine. Then, in a calm, non-emotional tone, he reads out the questions that interest him, to which the subject must calmly answer “yes” or “no.” If there is no clear answer to the question asked, the test taker calmly informs the polygraph examiner about this. In this case, the polygraph examiner must reformulate the question so that the answer is either “yes” or “no.”

On average, the entire testing procedure takes from one to two hours. Depending on the type of test, the test results are communicated to the person being tested immediately or transferred to the initiator of the test in any way convenient for him.

Where is the polygraph used?

Currently, the lie detector has ceased to be a tool only for the intelligence services. With its help, not only internal investigations and emergencies that occurred in commercial organizations are carried out (information leakage, theft and fraud), but also personnel screening checks (when hiring), certification checks of working employees, as well as checks on everyday issues (suspicions) are carried out in treason, checking teenagers for various types of abuse, etc.)

The polygraph sales market is also growing every year. Almost every large company has a polygraph examiner on its staff, who is hired to carry out the above-mentioned checks of working personnel and job candidates.

But if the organization’s staff is not very large, then it is more profitable to invite an external company to conduct testing. This is called personnel security outsourcing. Such companies are the main activity of AIC Detector. The second most important area of activity for us is identifying those responsible (and protecting those not guilty) in thefts and thefts.

Polygraph accuracy

One of the most popular questions about the polygraph is: “”. The answer to this is not clear! It is clear that if you are an intelligence officer and have undergone special training in countering polygraph tests, then a novice polygraph examiner will not “bring you to clean water.” However, if the polygraph examiner also has extensive experience, then deceiving him is not an easy task. One might even say - impossible!
For information: In the staff of AIC "Detector" all polygraph examiners are highly qualified, which is confirmed by their certificates.

» Polygraph. Fool the lie detector

Interesting facts about the polygraph (lie detector)

1. The first lie detection device was called a “hydrosphygmometer.” It was used by the Italian criminologist Cesare Lombroso. In the 1890s, he used a hydrosphygmometer to measure the blood pressure of suspects while they were being questioned by police. Lombroso claimed that he could tell when criminals were lying. Showing photographs related or unrelated to the crime, he simultaneously recorded the pulse and blood rates of the suspects.

2. The prototype of the modern polygraph was developed in the 1920s by John Larson, a California police officer. The device he created provided simultaneous recording of blood pressure, pulse and respiration. With the help of this device, a large number of checks were carried out on persons suspected of criminal offenses. Larson called his instrument the "polygraph", borrowing the name from John Hawkins, who coined the term in 1804. This was the name of the machine he invented for creating exact copies of handwritten texts (see figure below). The name "polygraph" comes from two Greek words - "poly" (many) and "grapho" (write). This device was used by many in the 19th century, including Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States and author of the Declaration of Independence. However, it was John Larson who took the lead in applying the word “polygraph” to a device for detecting lies.

3. In 1926, a student and employee of John Larson named Leonard Keeler introduced an additional channel into an existing polygraph that recorded changes in skin resistance. This significantly increased the accuracy of testing. The Keeler polygraph, created in 1933, was used at the Chicago Crime Laboratory. By 1935, he had examined approximately 2,000 crime suspects. Later, Keeler introduced a fifth channel for recording - the tremor channel (muscle tremors). This marked the beginning of the modern stage of “lie detection.” The basic set of recording channels (respiration, blood pressure, skin resistance and tremor) proposed by Larson and Keeler is present in all modern devices.

4. A modern polygraph records signals coming from sensors that are attached to various parts of the body. In this case, changes in indicators are associated with fluctuations in the level of excitation. It is believed that lying will produce higher levels of arousal than telling the truth. This may be the result of a feeling of guilt in the subjects or, more likely in the context of polygraph testing, the emergence of fear of detection of a lie.

Currently, the polygraph is capable of very accurately recording changes in sweating of the palms, blood pressure and respiration, and is sensitive to even the slightest changes. To record changes in the depth and frequency of breathing, pneumatic tubes are placed in the chest and stomach area. Changes in blood pressure are recorded using a special cuff that is wrapped around the shoulder, and palm sweating is recorded using metal electrodes attached to the fingers. In some cases, the electrical activity of the brain (evoked potentials) is also recorded.

5. Modern bark detectors can record up to 50 physiological parameters: redness of the face or its individual parts, trembling of lips, dilation/constriction of pupils, rapid blinking and other changes that may indicate a lie. For example, devices record changes in capillary expansion. This is the simplest reflex response, the so-called “shame” or “embarrassment” - a reaction to a shocking question. It is not controlled by willpower in the same way that breathing can be controlled. Some polygraph models allow you to analyze human speech. It is believed that if a suspect tells a deliberate lie, the condition of his vocal cords changes, which produce a slightly distorted sound due to an irregular change in the fundamental frequency of vibration. Other detectors respond to changes in temperature around the eyes. The principle of their action is based on the fact that when a person experiences mental discomfort - he lies or is disingenuous - intraocular pressure increases, there is a rush of blood to the eyeballs, which causes the temperature of the periocular space to increase. In recent years, new lie detection technologies have been developed using methods of psychosemantics (analysis of the semantic fields of the person being tested) and psychoprobing (analysis of subconscious reactions to the unconscious presentation of test stimuli). There is no doubt that in the near future we will see the emergence of other, much more sophisticated methods.

6. A polygraph is often called a lie detector, but this term is incorrect because it misleads the public. The polygraph does not read thoughts and does not detect lies, but only registers physiological activity and changes in its parameters. It does not detect lies, but only excitement, which with a certain degree of probability may indicate a lie. Based on physiological reactions, it is impossible to accurately determine the nature of the process that caused them (positive or negative emotion, lie, fear, pain, any associations, etc.). Currently, there is no other way to detect lies except indirectly, since a 100% reliable pattern of physiological activity characteristic of lies simply does not exist.

7. Contrary to popular belief, polygraph testing is not a strictly scientific and standardized procedure. There are numerous doubts and criticisms regarding the scientific reliability of the results obtained. It is believed that this is more of an art than a science, since a lot depends on the qualifications, experience and intuition of a polygraph examiner. Unlike scientific, strictly standardized tests, the list of questions for polygraph testing is not fixed. For successful testing, the polygraph examiner must each time select and formulate questions in such a way as to evoke the desired reaction in a particular subject. And then be able to correctly interpret all the variety of physiological manifestations, which vary greatly from person to person. In this case, errors caused by the notorious “human factor” are inevitable.

8. In Great Britain, after a high-profile spy scandal, the government announced its intention to conduct pilot studies of the effectiveness of polygraph testing. A number of famous psychologists formed a working group under the leadership of Professor T. Gale. The team's task was to provide a report on the status of polygraph testing. The report of the British Psychological Society's working group on the use of the polygraph contained sensational results and shocked many. Psychologists have questioned almost all aspects of the polygraph, especially the accuracy of the results. Thus, testing procedures have not been standardized to a degree that can be considered satisfactory in terms of scientific psychometrics.

Researchers have encountered difficulties in validating the testing methodology and practices of different polygraph specialists. This means that the decision-making process is subjective, since it depends entirely on the specialist who directly conducts the testing. Moreover, it is not verifiable. It is difficult for other specialists to understand why a particular polygraph examiner came to this conclusion. A devastating conclusion was made about the reliability of the polygraph, listing ways in which detectors could be fooled and innocent people found guilty. The commission also decided that some aspects of polygraph testing, in particular misleading the subject during the test of control questions, conflict with British law and moral standards, thereby making the test results inadmissible for consideration in British courts. The UK government has abandoned plans to introduce polygraph testing.

9. The result of a lie detector test cannot be considered 100% reliable, since the polygraph analyzes only emotions and physiological reactions regarding the subject of testing, regardless of the true guilt/innocence of their carrier. Any strong emotion of the subject: anger, fear, sexual arousal can be erroneously interpreted by the polygraph as his guilt. Paul Ekman in his book “The Psychology of Emotions” gives a classic example of such a systemic error, which is due to the very principle of the polygraph. This is the case of an army sergeant who was the first to discover the naked dead body of his neighbor - the pretty wife of another sergeant. During interrogations, he strongly denied his involvement in the murder, but failed to pass a lie detector test three times. The reason was his feelings for the murdered woman. In the past, he constantly had sexual fantasies about his neighbor, and when he saw her naked body, he felt sexually attracted to her, even though she was dead. He blamed himself for feeling this way. Whenever he was asked about her death and how he discovered the corpse, he felt guilty and this emotion did not allow him to take a polygraph test. When evidence was found to force the woman's true killer to confess, the sergeant was acquitted.

Similar mistakes occur in Russia. Once, an employee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs was tested on a polygraph, and the device showed a strange reaction to a question about drug use. The polygraph examiner processed this information as a drug addiction. Later it turned out that nothing of the kind happened, the policeman simply expressed aggression and indignation when asked about drugs. However, he was fired anyway.

10. One evening, eighteen-year-old Peter Reilly returned home and found his mother dead. He decided she had been murdered and called the police. After talking with Reilly, the police suspected him of murdering his own mother. A polygraph test was scheduled. The police informed Peter that he had failed the test, thus indicating that he was guilty even though he had no memory of what happened. Examination of copies of the interrogations revealed that Reilly had undergone a remarkable process of psychological transformation, from complete denial of guilt to admission of guilt, to finally changing his original testimony (“Okay, it really looks as if I did it”) and completely writing recognition. Two years later, an independent investigation determined that Reilly could not have committed the murder and that the confession, which even he had begun to believe, was in fact false.

Subsequently, psychologists proved that suspects themselves may begin to doubt their innocence because they believe in the myth of the super-effectiveness of the polygraph. Before testing begins, the polygraph operator convinces the suspect of the accuracy of the device and the impossibility of making a mistake. Moreover, after testing, the police usually inform the suspect that the results are accurate. Some suspects believe this. Sometimes innocent suspects deliberately make a false confession after being declared guilty on a polygraph test. One reason is that they see no way to convince a jury or judge of their innocence and therefore decide to confess in the hope of receiving a less severe sentence.

11. The feasibility of using a polygraph for personnel selection has not yet been proven. Most scientists and researchers involved in the problem of detecting lies unanimously and categorically protest against the use of a lie detector when applying for a job. The reason is a large number of errors when testing candidates using a polygraph. The penalties for revealing lies in employment testing are much less than in criminal cases. And since the stakes are lower, the horror of discovery is less intense, making it much more difficult to catch liars. On the other hand, honest people who really want to get a job often fear that they will be judged incorrectly, and that is why their fear can be mistakenly assessed as a sign of guilt.

Another reason is that when selecting, the employer is interested in general information about the candidate. For example, is he honest and has the applicant ever stolen anything? The polygraph is not able to accurately answer this question, since with its help you can only ask specific questions about specific events that occurred at a specific time. General questions can be asked in a sequence of security questions. However, the likelihood of obtaining incorrect results increases the more the questions themselves become more general. A polygraph test can provide information about the test taker's past behavior (for example, the test can show whether the applicant cheated while filling out the application form, whether he tried drugs in his youth, etc.), but for employers, what is most often more important is what the applicant’s behavior will be in the future , as well as his professional qualities. The absence of illegal actions in the past does not at all guarantee their absence in the future (and vice versa - a person who has previously committed some act will not necessarily commit it again). The polygraph cannot answer anything here, and this limits the reliability of its use for personnel selection.

12. The most scandalous case of the use of a polygraph in business occurred in 1987, during an investigation into the theft of the CBS television company. The company enlisted the help of four New York polygraph testing firms to determine which employee stole an expensive camera. At the preliminary preparation stage, the company manager informed in advance which of the employees he suspected of a crime. After a polygraph study, it turned out that polygraph examiners pointed to these employees as having committed the theft, although they were innocent.

It was a pure farce: in fact, the camera did not disappear, and all the company employees were well aware of it. They were simply given instructions to deny the theft (that is, to tell the truth). As an incentive, employees were promised $50 in salary, but only if the polygraph test was successfully passed. When polygraph testing specialists came to conduct tests (on different days), each of them was informed that the company manager was suspicious of a specific employee. In this case, each inspector was named a different person. Ultimately, each of the four experts confidently “identified” the culprit, and in each case it was the employee who had been identified as a suspect before testing. Polygraph examiners were not specifically tuned to such a result. They were simply unconsciously influenced by the preliminary information they received.

13. In addition to assumptions about the possible guilt of the subjects, the result of a polygraph test can be influenced by other subjective factors, for example, sympathy or pity for the suspects. The polygraph examiner will begin to unconsciously “play along” with the subject and it is possible that in these cases the result “considered guilty” will appear less likely. Conversely, if you cause hostility and disgust in the polygraph operator for some reason, then the likelihood that you will be found guilty as a result of testing increases.

14. Is it possible to fool a lie detector? Yes, it's possible. There are various types of polygraph tricks, such as tongue biting, leg tension (by pressing the big toes on the floor), mental counting of sheep, or counting backwards. These actions will lead to physiological reactions that will be recorded by the polygraph. By doing so, subjects can artificially increase physiological responses in response to test questions and thereby increase the likelihood of passing the test. The result of counting sheep or counting backwards (not out loud, of course, but silently) will be such that test takers will not be able to comprehend the questions asked by the examiner or the alternatives listed, which will lead to an indeterminate test result. Use of “filler questions” (e.g. control questions test) may interfere with this technique because subjects are expected to answer “yes” to fillers and “no” to other questions. This forces the subject to think and comprehend the information, since answering “no” to filler may indicate that the questions are being ignored.

15. There is an opinion that psychopaths can cheat a lie detector more effectively than healthy people. The level of arousal in psychopaths and pathological liars does not increase when telling a lie and therefore it is impossible to detect lies in them. Thus, Gary Ridgway, nicknamed the “Green River Killer,” one of the bloodiest serial killers in US history, was once a suspect, brilliantly passed a lie detector test and was able to prove to the police his innocence. He later explained his calmness by his absolute confidence that the police had nothing on him. In addition to differences between psychopaths and healthy people, differences in polygraph testing were found between introverts and extroverts.

16. The most famous lie detector test was conducted by Floyd “Flyer” Fey. He was wrongly convicted of murder after failing a polygraph test. Fey's innocence was established only several years later. During his unjustified stint in prison, he decided to take revenge on his offenders and became an expert in polygraph testing. Floyd taught 27 prisoners who voluntarily confessed to his crime how to pass the security questions test. After a 20-minute lesson, 23 out of 27 prisoners successfully passed a polygraph test, which showed their innocence.

17. In a 1994 study, subjects were trained for 30 minutes to use either physical counters (biting the tongue or pressing the floor with their toes) or mental counters (mentally counting backwards from seven). After this training session, they took a polygraph test. Mental and physical countermeasures were equally effective, allowing approximately 50% of subjects to fool the polygraph. Moreover, the examiner (who was an experienced specialist) noticed the use of physical counteraction only in 12% of cases, while none of the subjects who used mental counteraction aroused the examiner's suspicion either by their behavior or physiological reactions. These data contradict the advertising claims of polygraph examiners that any attempt to use deception techniques will always be detected by them.

18. A person who is used to lying can fool a polygraph. This conclusion was reached by a team of scientists led by Bruno Verschure from Ghent University. In 2010, scientists conducted an experiment involving three groups of students. The subjects were asked to write a short report about their daily activities, after which they were asked questions regarding them. One of the groups had to tell only the truth, the other - exclusively lies, and the third could make a choice, but so that both options were approximately in equal proportions. It is known that lying requires additional cognitive control and inhibition of the process of voicing the truth. But in pathological liars (and such a mental feature qualifies as a disorder), “dominant truthfulness” may weaken. As a result of the experiment, it turned out that the brains of notorious liars quickly adapt to the need to lie, and it becomes almost impossible to calculate the truthfulness of an answer based on the time spent on thinking. In order for lie detectors to work more efficiently, experts have proposed including more questions in the test that require a known truthful answer. After them, it will be more difficult for a person to lie, and the corresponding physiological manifestations will become more noticeable.

19. Spies and intelligence officers are trained to deceive a polygraph. There is a famous example of Aldrich Ames, a CIA operative who sold secrets to the Soviet Union for many years and passed several polygraph tests over the years. Ames has been successful in his spy career for so long, incl. and because his ability to fool the polygraph dispelled any suspicions of CIA officials. Ames' KGB contact Viktor Cherkashin later told a British newspaper The Sunday Times, how he helped Ames pass polygraph tests. Cherkashin arranged for Ames to have lunch with the Russian diplomat. To Ames's surprise, Cherkashin himself was present at the lunch. Ames became concerned because the FBI knew Cherkashin and was watching him. However, Cherkashin came for lunch on purpose. He knew that the CIA frequently administered routine polygraph tests to its employees, and he knew that Ames would be asked the following question: “Have you recently had informal contact with KGB personnel?” because that was a standard question. Since contacts between Ames and KGB officers were classified, Ames would have to deceive. However, after lunch, Ames no longer needed to lie and could calmly say that he had been contacted.

20. Futurologists and science fiction writers have long been thinking about how the polygraph will be used in the future. In many fantastic dystopias, the polygraph and polygraph examiners are an integral part of the totalitarian system, the apparatus of social control and oppression. For example, in the film Equilibrium, a polygraph is used to reveal forbidden emotional reactions in secret dissidents and resistance fighters. In the science fiction television series "Stargate" (SG-1), we can see the "Zatarc detector" - a fictional device that is used to detect zatarks - "sleeping agents" of aliens who themselves do not know about it. The detector checks the subject's subconscious and conscious memory because the aliens mask the programming of their victims with a false memory. During interrogation, any question is asked and the detector can determine whether the recalled memory is true, even if the person himself does not suspect it.

In the cult science-fiction film Blade Runner, another type of lie detector is used - the Voight-Kampff test. This test, based on questions and emotional responses, helps the main character of the film determine whether the person being tested is a human or a replicant android who secretly made his way to Earth. The test result is used for the final verdict. The Voight-Kampff Empathy Test was invented by writer Philip K. Dick and was first mentioned in his novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? According to F. Dick, it arises only within a community of people. Even an android endowed with absolute intellectual power does not see any point in empathy, so it fails this test. According to The Wave Magazine, in 2004, local politicians in San Francisco were tested using a similar test to determine whether politicians really belong to the genus Homo sapiens? All applicants suspected of the contrary answered specific questions, mainly affecting the life or death of animals. Experts observed their reactions and drew conclusions. You too can test yourself with the help of a test adapted for online testing.

Prepared based on materials from scientific and popular publications

Story

The first practical experience of using such tools to detect lies belongs to the famous Italian criminologist Cesare Lombroso. Already in 1881, when interrogating those suspected of committing crimes, he used a hydrosphygmograph - a device with which changes in the blood pressure of the interrogated were recorded on a diagram (graph), which made it possible to carry out their detailed analysis in the future.

The sensor unit is designed to: receive signals from sensors that record parameters of physiological processes, amplify and filter signals from these sensors and convert them into digital codes and then enter them into a computer (most often a laptop).

The following sensors are used to record physiological data:

upper (thoracic) and lower (diaphragmatic or abdominal) breathing;
cardiovascular activity: heart rate, blood filling of blood vessels and/or blood pressure;
electrical conductivity of the skin (skin resistance, galvanic skin reflex).

Simultaneous monitoring of these physiological processes during a psychophysiological study is strictly mandatory: according to existing international standards, exclusion of at least one of these processes from control makes the polygraph test procedure invalid.

Other sensors included in the package different types and polygraph models have an auxiliary function. Thus, tremor (motor activity) and voice sensors can be used to record artifacts: the movement of the subject and external noise interference, respectively. A voice sensor (microphone) can also be used to more accurately record questions and answers and to record the soundtrack of an interrogation.

Purpose

In accordance with the definition, a polygraph is designed to register and record physiological parameters recorded from an object during a psychophysiological study. The result of recording parameters on paper or electronic media is called polygram.

Polygram: background - reaction - recovery - background

The general structure of a polygram consists of the following components:

reaction;
artifact.

Background- the state of physiological processes in the human body at rest (when conducting a psychophysiological study, rest means the state of a calmly sitting person who is not asked questions). The background is characterized by the relative stability of the ongoing processes and represents a certain physiological norm characteristic of a particular person in the absence of destabilizing influences.

Reaction- this is a noticeable (under the conditions of observation) change in the dynamics of the recorded physiological process in response to a stimulus (question, object or image of an object) presented during a psychophysiological study. Depending on the individual characteristics of the human body, during the development of the reaction, one can observe strengthening, weakening or stabilization of the dynamics of a particular function. In some people, reactions may be complex: following rapid changes in the physiological process (the reaction to the stimulus itself), a subsequent long-term change in its dynamics occurs, that is, the so-called relief reaction .

Artifact- a noticeable (compared to the background) change in the dynamics of the controlled physiological process, not directly related to the stimuli presented during the psychophysiological study and caused by the influence of exogenous (external) and endogenous (internal) destabilizing factors. Endogenous factors include intentional or unintentional movements of the subject, coughing, sudden pain, etc., exogenous factors include mainly external noise interference.

The physiological reactions recorded during the study do not have specificity, that is, based on their informative characteristics, it is impossible to accurately determine the nature of the process that caused them (positive or negative emotion, lie, fear, pain, any associations, etc.). The only objective characteristic of a physiological reaction is its stable expression in response to the presentation of a situationally significant stimulus.

At present, there is no statistically reliable data that unambiguously indicates any universal information value for the results of a psychophysiological study of any one physiological process or its individual parameter.

Criticism

In the event of a possible error in measurements or interpretation (processing) of data, significant moral or material damage may be caused. Critics of the method see it as too simplistic, mechanical a scheme for interpreting the reactions of the human body to external stimuli; in addition, during the examination various factors influencing the main indicators may not be taken into account.

In a number of countries, data obtained through psychophysiological surveys are not considered by courts as evidence (In Germany and Poland).

Alternative methods for detecting lies

Notes

Links

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Synonyms:

See what "Polygraph" is in other dictionaries:

- (Greek, this. See printing). 1) author of numerous essays on various subjects. 2) copy machine. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910. POLYGRAPH [gr. polygraphos a lot of writing Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

Fear generator, mechanical inquisitor, oscilloscope, author, lie detector Dictionary of Russian synonyms. polygraph noun, number of synonyms: 5 author (28) ... Dictionary of synonyms

polygraph- a, m. polygraphe m. tech. Copier. Ush. 1939. Now a new industry has appeared: in Vologda, a certain Shelekhov printed my Fool on a polygraph and... notifies me about it. Salt. 20 20 167. Lex. Jan. 1806: polygraph; SAN 1847:… … Historical Dictionary of Gallicisms of the Russian Language

The infamous polygraph test, also known as the "lie detector", is often seen as a cause of anxiety and fear even among people who have not committed any offense and who must take the test without cheating or manipulating the results. Either way, you've come to the right place if you need advice on taking a lie detector test.

Steps

Before checking

Understand how the polygraph works. The polygraph is not able to detect lies, as such, but it monitors the physiological changes that occur in the body when a person lies (blood pressure, pulse, breathing, sweating).

Familiarize yourself with the test equipment and procedures when you arrive at your designated location. It's also a good idea to learn the basics on your own, but avoid the lie detector horror stories that tend to be posted online and make people even more nervous.

Try not to overthink the test in advance. You risk distorting the test results if you spend too much time worrying and needlessly judging yourself before taking a polygraph test.
- In order to avoid unnecessary worries, do not ask those who have taken a lie detector about the process itself, do not waste time on self-analysis and do not try to predict the questions that will be asked to you.
- Try not to spend too much time browsing anti-printing sites, as they often confuse reality with false “facts” and can cause unnecessary panic.
The day before the test, take care of your body. You must be comfortable during testing to ensure accurate physiological responses. To do this, you should make sure that you are well rested and physically feel comfortable.
- Follow your routine as closely as possible. Even if it includes caffeinated coffee or a run in the morning, which tend to affect your heart rate. It is necessary to adhere to a daily routine, since your body is accustomed to working in these physiological conditions.
- The night before testing, try to get seven or eight hours of sleep.
- Make sure you are not hungry and your clothes are loose and comfortable.
Fill out all the forms given to you. Depending on the reason you are taking the polygraph test, you may be given forms to fill out, such as a Personal Information Clearance form or a regular form that requires your permission. Take your time filling out the forms. Read them carefully and sign only when you are ready.

Tell the expert if you have any medical conditions or medications you are taking. If you are currently sick, the examiner may change your test date. Some medications, such as blood pressure medications, may interfere with lie detector results. So you are obliged to inform the expert if there are any.
- If you have a disease, you will feel uncomfortable, which will distort the results.
- If you are using prescription medications, continue to take them as directed by your doctor before starting the test.
- Contrary to popular belief, most antidepressants cannot change the printed results and allow you to "not mention their use." But despite this, you need to inform the expert about their use (if this is the case), as antidepressants can lead to abnormal results.
Review the questions and take as much time as possible to understand them. In some cases, polygraph examiners provide questions in advance. Take your time while studying them, and also do not hesitate to ask an expert to clarify vague or confusing questions.
- You must ask the expert to clarify all questions immediately before starting the test. Your answers will be limited to "yes" and "no", and therefore any discussion during the test is prohibited, so all questions must be asked before the test begins.
Know what questions will be used. The following types of questions are used in the tests: neutral, significant and control.
- Neutral questions are not intended to provoke any reaction. As a rule, they are used to understand how attentive the examinee is. It doesn't matter how you react to them - these results will not be taken into account. Examples of questions: “Your name is Igor?”, “Do you live in Russia?”
- The purpose of meaningful questions is to identify possible wrongdoing. It is assumed that the person who committed the unlawful act will be significantly nervous, which will be reflected in the indicators of the device. Otherwise, all indicators should not deviate from the norm. Of course, reactions to these questions will be taken into account when summing up the results.
- Control questions do not indicate any illegal action, but are more general in nature. Their goal is to cause nervous excitement in the test taker. During the test, the polygraph examiner will evaluate your physiological reactions to questions that, in the opinion of the expert, you definitely lied about.
Standard polygraphy test
1. Allow yourself to be nervous. During polygraph testing, no one remains calm, even if the person in question is innocent of anything and has nothing to hide. By allowing yourself to be nervous, you will give the polygraph examiner the opportunity to determine accurate physiological statistics while you are telling the truth or lying.
2. Tell the truth. Answer the truth to every question asked, unless you have something that you want to hide or that you are ashamed of. As a rule, people are most likely to lie when answering security questions. The more often you tell the truth, the more accurate the results will be, which will help determine your innocence.
  - People are often afraid of trap questions, but experts in many countries are now increasingly inclined to use more direct questions.
  - Listen carefully to the entire question and answer it as accurately as possible. Don't answer after listening to only half the question, and also learn to understand what is being asked In fact they ask you.
3. Take your time. Depending on who is testing you, you may have the examiner repeat the question two to six times. Find out how often you can repeat a question before starting the test. Take your time when answering questions, as feeling rushed may skew the test results.
  - The survey usually takes five to ten minutes, but depending on how often the questions are repeated to you, how long it takes you to make a decision, and the nature and reason for the test, it may take longer.