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Science of Criminalistic (Polygraphy) : By: Abragan, Ian J

The document discusses the science behind polygraph (lie detector) testing. It explains that a polygraph simultaneously records physiological responses like respiration, sweat gland activity, and heart rate that are measured to detect deception. While polygraph results are about 97-98% accurate, some skepticism remains given it is not 100% accurate and responses can be affected by other psychological factors besides lying. The document recommends further scientific efforts to develop and validate improved physiological indicators and automated scoring to potentially achieve marginal accuracy improvements in polygraph testing over time.

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Ian Abragan
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Download as ODP, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
54 views

Science of Criminalistic (Polygraphy) : By: Abragan, Ian J

The document discusses the science behind polygraph (lie detector) testing. It explains that a polygraph simultaneously records physiological responses like respiration, sweat gland activity, and heart rate that are measured to detect deception. While polygraph results are about 97-98% accurate, some skepticism remains given it is not 100% accurate and responses can be affected by other psychological factors besides lying. The document recommends further scientific efforts to develop and validate improved physiological indicators and automated scoring to potentially achieve marginal accuracy improvements in polygraph testing over time.

Uploaded by

Ian Abragan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as ODP, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Science of Criminalistic

(Polygraphy)
By: Abragan, Ian J.
Nature
 A polygraph is an instrument that records certain
physiological changes in a person undergoing
questioning in an effort to obtain truth or deception.
A polygraph simultaneously records a minimum of
respiratory activity, galvanic skin
resistance/conductivity and cardiovascular activity.

 Polygraphy or psychophysiological detection of
deception is based upon a scientific theory that can
be tested with the methods of science. Any
conscious effort at deception by a rational individual
causes involuntary and uncontrollable physiological
responses which include measurable reactions in
blood pressure, peripheral pulse-amplitude,
breathing and electrodermal response.
Importance
Supporting the legal use of the polygraph in criminal
investigations, legal author and expert on the common law,
Wigmore (1970), noted three probative uses of the polygraph with
respect to criminal investigation, namely:

 The observer may use it as a clue to obtaining external data


which can otherwise be used in evidence;

 The disclosure of the lie may impress the subject with the
apparent futility of trying to conceal the facts, and may thus
lead to a voluntary confession before trail; and

 The recorded curves may reveal a general emotional
consciousness of guilt… and can serve to guide police
investigators in their hypotheses.

Polygraph testing is currently being used in more
than 50 countries in the fields of corrections, criminal
investigations, intelligence/counter intelligence and civil
matters. In the United States alone all federal law
enforcement agencies either employ their own
polygraph examiners or use the services of examiners
employed in other agencies.

Examiners and quality control programs
exist in
 FBI
 US. Secret Service
 US Army CID
 US Marine Corps CID
 Air Force OSI
 Navy NCIS
 US Customs
 US Marshals
 Defence Criminal Investigation Service
 Internal Revenue Service
 US Capitol Police, Food & Drug Administration
 Department of Energy
 Central Intelligence Agency
 Police & County Sheriff’s departments
 Sex therapists and numerous other investigative bodies
Current usage within criminal & private
investigations
Polygraph usage has proven successful in:

 Eliminating suspects

 Recognising false complaints

 Testing informants to determine the veracity of information provided

 Providing a new "key" to an investigation when all other standard investigative
techniques have been exhausted

 Narrowing the focus of enquiry

 Gathering additional information and evidence

 Assisting to focus the investigation on particular suspects
Other uses within the private sector
include:

 Professional misconduct allegations e.g.


Doctors, Accountants etc.
 Theft/Fraud investigations
 Civil investigations
 Testing the veracity of affidavits/statements
 Investigating malicious and false allegations
 Unfair dismissals
 Drug usage by athletes
 Disputes of fact
 Sexual harassment claims/allegations

Validity and Reliability

 In the past 75 years over 250 studies have been


conducted on the accuracy of polygraph testing.
Since 1980, 10 separate studies based on 1,909 real
cases showed that the accuracy rate for truthful
subjects was 97% and for deceptive subjects, 98%.
There have been more published studies done on
polygraph accuracy, validity and reliability than on
handwriting analysis which is routinely admitted
into evidence on a daily basis.
 Although sceptics of polygraph techniques have expressed
concern that polygraph testing is not 100% accurate one
needs to consider that there is no one scientific technique
in dealing with humans that is 100% accurate including
psychiatry and psychological assessments regarding
clinical diagnosis. Classification of psychological disorders,
although subjective, are often challenged by other experts
and, at times, incorrectly diagnosed.
 Cross contamination has occurred in DNA testing,
fingerprints have been wrongly classified, handwriting
evidence has been misinterpreted and eye witnesses make
mistakes. Furthermore, admissibility does not necessarily
mean that evidence is valid. Note how invalid eyewitness
and psychiatric findings can be, and often are, legally and
judiciously recognized as admissible evidence.
Improvement and Recommendation
Polygraph Accuracy

Almost a century of research in scientific psychology and


physiology provides little basis for the expectation that a polygraph
test could have extremely high accuracy.

The physiological responses measured by the polygraph are


not uniquely related to deception. That is, the responses
measured by the polygraph do not all reflect a single underlying
process: a variety of psychological and physiological processes,
including some that can be consciously controlled, can affect
polygraph measures and test results. Moreover, most polygraph
testing procedures allow for uncontrolled variation in test
administration (e.g., creation of the emotional climate, selecting
questions) that can be expected to result in variations in accuracy
and that limit the level of accuracy that can be consistently
achieved.

Theoretical Basis

The theoretical rationale for the polygraph is quite


weak, especially in terms of differential fear, arousal, or
other emotional states that are triggered in response to
relevant or comparison questions.
We have not found any serious effort at construct
validation of polygraph testing.

 Future Potential

The inherent ambiguity of the physiological measures
used in the polygraph suggest that further investments in
improving polygraph technique and interpretation will
bring only modest improvements in accuracy.
Improvement and
Recommendation

 Scientifically based efforts must be made to develop,


define, and validate improved indicators derived
from polygraph measurements for use in
computerized scoring. These efforts would have to
improve on the approaches currently being used.
They might lead to marginal improvements in the
overall performance of polygraph testing over
several years, but major increases in accuracy are
unlikely to be achieved.

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