Polygraph Examiners Exam

During the pre-test phase, or pre-polygraph interview, the examiner will:
*inform the examinee of the specific issue that is being investigated;
*advise the examinee of his or her constitutional rights, of their right to an attorney and of the voluntary action of submitting to a polygraph examination;
*complete the necessary documentation;
*provide the examinee with a detailed explanation of the polygraph instrumentation with its components and how these work;
*answer any questions that the examinee may have;
*obtain the examinee's version of the facts regarding the specific issue under investigation;
*formulate and review with the examinee all the questions that will be asked of him or her during the polygraph examination.

During the in test stage, or polygraph stage the examiner:
*will administer a minimum number of three separate tests each lasting approximately 5 minutes — and a maximum number of six tests — wherein the examinee's physiological data will be continuously collected, measured and recorded, onto polygraph charts, as he or she answers the set of questions that were formulated and reviewed during the pre-test phase.
*The examinee will have a two-minute relaxation period between each test.

During the post-test stage, or post-test interview, the examiner will:
*give the examinee the result of the polygraph examination. If the physiological data recorded on the charts shows reactions on the part of the examinee to the relevant questions that were asked, he or she will be given the opportunity to explain these reactions.
*will provide the client with a verbal report of the polygraph examination and its result. This will be followed, in a timely manner, by a written report containing a factual account of all the information developed during the polygraph procedure, as well as the examiner's professional opinion of the examination results based on the analysis, interpretation and evaluation of the polygraph data.

NDI means the examinee was telling the truth

DI means that the person was lying.

INC means that the polygraph was unable to detect whether the examinee was lying or telling the truth.

The word Polygrah means many writings

Polygraphs are also called truth detectors.

Being nervous will affect the polygraph testing.

The relevant/irrelevant (R/I) technique is generally used during employment hiring interviews. The premise underlying this test is that a deceptive subject has an obviously different reaction or response to the relevant questions than if irrelevant questions are asked. An innocent subject has the same kind of reaction to both types of questions.

The control question (CQT) technique is the most widely used technique in criminal investigations. The technique is to make non-deceptive subjects to reflect on the truthfulness of their answers. Control questions can trace back past experiences which arouse the subject to be doubtful of the sincerity of the answers.

The concealed information test, is based on a different principle than the first two tests. The test is designed to distinguish a guilty person through the information based on the crime. There are two primary types of concealed information technique. The first one is the peak-of-tension test and the other one is the guilty knowledge test. The peak-of-tension technique (POT) is composed of five to nine closed questions that are closely similar in structure. The guilty knowledge test (GKT) is about the same as the POT but uses more of open ended questions or multiple choice type.

It is ok to surprise an examinee during the polygraph with an undisclosed question.

The three-position numerical evaluation scale permits a range of only one of three values that may be assigned to an analysis spot. The range is: minus one (-1), zero (0), and plus one (+1).

The seven-position numerical evaluation scale permits a range of seven values that may be assigned to an analysis spot. The range is: minus three (-3), minus two (-2), minus one (-1), zero (0), plus one (+1), plus two (+2), and plus three (+3). When using the seven-position scale, a minus three (-3) is considered less than a minus two (-2) and a plus three (+3) is greater than a plus two (+2).

The standard unit of measurement in a vertical chart division is one-quarter inch

Homeostasis refers to a complex interactive regulatory system by which the body strives to maintain a state of internal equilibrium. Being able to recognize an examinee’s homeostatic signature, for each of the recording systems being monitored and recorded, is truly essential to effective test data analysis. Examiners often use the following terms interchangeably with homeostasis: physiological norm, pre-stimulus baseline, resting state, and tonic level.

Latency refers to the period of time between stimulus onset and response onset. Any physiological response that begins following stimulus onset is said to display response latency. Response latency, depending upon its consistency, may enable an otherwise untimely response to be evaluated. Pronounced latency may be seen in all recording channels or in just one. An effective method for assessing response latency is to look holistically at all of the physiological data collected, channel-by-channel.

Question String refers to all of the questions posed to an examinee between test commencement and test termination.

Response Onset Window refers to the typical time period, from stimulus onset, where we would predict a physiological response to occur in order for that response to be deemed timely.

Serial Position refers to the specific location of a question within a question string.

Waveform. The term waveform and tracing are used interchangeably and refers to the particular visual representation of the physiological data that is studied for its diagnostic value.

Most people display a resting respiration rate or breathing pattern of between 12 to 18 breaths per minute

The five diagnostic features pertaining to RLL are as follows: (1) apnea—blocking (suppression), (2) decrease in amplitude (suppression), (3) progressive decrease in amplitude (suppression), (4) decrease in cyclic rate, and (5) inhalation/exhalation (I/E) ratio change.

The galvonic skin response waveform is a reflection of the electrical changes in human skin. Examiners are principally involved in monitoring and recording either the examinee’s skin resistance level (SRL) or skin conductance level (SCL) and
deviations from those levels that we refer to as phasic activity. This is accomplished through the passage of an electrical current across the skin and is termed an exosomatic ED measure.

Polygraph examiners are interested with pulmonary and systemic circulatory pathways; the heart itself, particularly the chambers and valves; cardiac conduction; cardiac muscle contraction; the cardiac cycle, specifically the segments of a heart beat; cardiac output, such as stroke volume and heart rate; and blood pressure.

Someone can be forced to take a polygraph.

Polygraphs are only as accurate as a flip of a coin.

Polygraphs are easily fooled.

Polygraphs cannot be used as evidence in court in 49 states.

An examination total score of +10 indicates the examinee was telling the truth.

"Think of a number between one and five. Don't tell me your number. I'm going to go through each number and I want you to answer 'no' even when I get to your number. Is your number one? Is your number two? Is your number three? Is your number four? Is your number 5?" is an example of a Stim Test.

A total score of +3 or higher indicates that the examinee was telling the truth.

A total score of -3 or lower indicates the examinee was lying.

A total score between -3 and +3 indicate that the test was inconculsive.