PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY

SYSTEM
MUSCULAR SYSTEM

consists of skeletal, smooth, and cardiac muscles

allows for body movement, posture, and blood circulation
throughout the body
the muscular system in humans is mostly controlled
through the nervous system
three (3) types of muscles in the human body
MUSCULAR SYSTEM

three (3) types of muscles in the human body

• Striated or skeletal muscles are involved in voluntary movements

• Smooth muscles are controlled by the autonomic nervous system
and are involved in involuntary movements
• Cardiac muscles are combinations of striated and smooth muscles,
which are involuntary and controlled by the sinus node that in turn is
controlled by the autonomic nervous system
 - circulates blood and
CIRCULATORY transports nutrients (such
SYSTEM as amino acids and
electrolytes), oxygen,
carbon dioxide, hormones
and blood cells to and
from the cells in the body
to provide nourishment
and help in fighting
diseases, stabilize
temperature and pH, and
maintain homeostasis
CIRCULATORY SYSTEM

consists of the heart, blood, and blood vessels

involves two circulatory systems: the greater or

systemic circulatory system and the lesser or
pulmonary circulatory system
CIRCULATORY SYSTEM

the dicrotic notch that appears on the cardio tracing is

created due to blood that has just been pumped
rebounding off the closing aortic semilunar valve,
which prevents it from returning back into the heart

normal resting heart rate for adults is between 60

and 100 beats/min
CIRCULATORY SYSTEM

from a polygraph standpoint, heartbeat can easily be

assessed by counting the number of beats on the graph
for 10 seconds and multiplying by 6
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM

responsible for supplying life-sustaining oxygen to your

body and removing waste and carbon dioxide from it
through the act of breathing

breathing ideally starts at the nose, but can be done

through the mouth

the medulla oblongata in the hindbrain sends a signal to

the diaphragm to contract and for the intercostal
muscles to contract
ENDOCRINE SYSTEM
two types of glands in the body: duct glands and ductless
glands

duct glands secrete their hormones into specific body

cavities, for example, sweat glands

ductless glands secrete their hormones into the blood

stream, thereby affecting the entire body
ENDOCRINE SYSTEM

ductless glands make up the endocrine system and

include the pituitary gland, or “master gland,” which not
only regulates other glands but also produces some
hormones
INTEGUMENTARY SYSTEM

includes the skin and its appendages, such as hair and nails

the skin is the largest organ in the body

this system separates our internal body from the external

environment and has multiple roles in homeostasis
INTEGUMENTARY SYSTEM

the skin acts as the body’s first line of defense against

infection, temperature change, and other challenges to
homeostasis

changes in the electrodermal activity monitored by the

polygraph are caused by changes occurring in this system
affecting sweat gland activity
INTEGUMENTARY SYSTEM’S FUNCTIONS

Protecting the body’s internal living tissues and organs

Protecting against invasion by infectious organisms
Protecting the body from dehydration
Protecting the body against abrupt changes in temperature
to maintain homeostasis
Helping excrete waste materials through perspiration
INTEGUMENTARY SYSTEM’S FUNCTIONS
Acting as a receptor for touch, pressure, pain, heat, and cold

Protecting the body against sunburns by secreting melanin

Generating vitamin D through exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light

Storing water, fat, glucose, and vitamin D

Maintaining the body form

INTEGUMENTARY SYSTEM’S FUNCTIONS

Forming new cells from stratum germanium to repair minor

injuries

Protecting from UV rays

PHYSIOLOGY

Having a basic understanding of physiology is necessary

for the polygraph examiner in understanding the
polygraph language and making accurate determinations
of the data they collect

The question now becomes, “Why should physiological

changes occur when a mental act such as lying occurs?”
PSYCHOLOGY
study of psychology involves our thoughts, feelings, and
behaviors and how these three areas are connected and
influence the individual

theory can be defined as an organized and studied

hypothesis to explain why things occur

there is no clear right or wrong within a theory—we look

at what is functional in a given situation or context
SIGMUND FREUD

this led him to an eventual

the mind is constantly in a
division of the mind into
state of conflict with itself
three parts of conflicting
and understood this conflict
internal tendencies: the
as the primary cause of all
well-known id (child), ego
human anxiety and
(self) and superego
unhappiness
(parent)
ID

it just wants!

these urges are the demands of the id, the most primitive
motivational force

in pursuit of these ends, the id demands immediate

gratification: it is ruled by the pleasure principle, demanding
satisfaction now, regardless of circumstances and possible
undesirable effects
ID

however, if the urge is not immediately discharged, the id

will form a memory of the end of the motivation

this act of wish-fulfillment satisfies the id’s desire for the

moment, though obviously it does not reduce the tension of
the unfulfilled urge
SUPEREGO
demands that we do what is morale and correct in life

the superego is subdividable into two parts: conscience

and ego ideal
the ego ideal aims the individual’s path of life toward the
ideal, perfect goals instilled by society

the conscience tells us what is right and wrong

SUPEREGO

if a person does something that is acceptable to the

superego, he experiences pride and self-satisfaction

however, since the id’s demands often go against what

the superego believes is right behavior, the superego
uses guilt and self-reproach as its primary means of
enforcement of its rules
EGO
ruled by the reality principle

the negotiator between the demands of the id and the principles set forth
by the superego

while the ego may temporarily repress certain urges of the id in fear of
punishment, eventually these external sources of punishment are
internalized, and ideally, the child who later develops into an adult will
not, for example, “steal,” even when unwatched, because he has taken
the ideas of punishment, right, and wrong into himself
EGO
the negotiator often just suppress the id’s urges until an appropriate
situation arises
this repression of inappropriate desires and urges represents the greatest
strain on the mind, and the ego often utilizes defense mechanisms to
achieve and aid this repression
these mechanisms help to maintain the stability and sanity of the
individual, though they take up a considerable amount of our psychic
energy in the process
as a polygraph examiner, it is important to be familiar with these ego
defense mechanisms to ensure an examination does not result in a false
negative due to the examinee’s ability to deploy them
DEFENSE MECHANISMS
(REACTION FORMATION)
To ward off an anxiety-causing and unacceptable impulse, one may
replace it with its overemphasized diametrical opposite

For example: the young boy who hates his older brother for his
accomplishments and the rewards and praise that his older brother
receives may transform this hatred into aggressive love and praise.
This replacement of his hatred with its opposite, love, represses the
hatred and satisfies his superego’s rules for what is acceptable, but
does not eliminate the original impulse
DEFENSE MECHANISMS
(PROJECTION)
Forbidden, unacceptable urges build up and break into consciousness,
but are then attributed to others

A jealous husband may call his wife unfaithful, while it is he who wants
to have an affair but cannot face this. His projection means that he has
first repressed his own urge and then projects it upon his wife.
DEFENSE MECHANISMS
(RATIONALIZATION)

This relieves a person of anxiety or guilt by formulating perfectly

reasonable reasons for their unacceptable behavior

An employee steals a deposit from his or her employer; however he

justifies it by rationalizing that it was not stealing. The employer
promised the employee a raise after 6 months of employment that
has never occurred. The employee rationalizes that the money they
took is only a partial payment for the raise they never received; it was
not stealing and in fact they are still owed more compensation.
DEFENSE MECHANISMS
(DISPLACEMENT)
When a natural urge related to anger is not immediately able to be
vented and therefore repressed, it is often displaced to another, less
threatening, disguised outlet.

A man’s anger at his boss, which is unacceptable because of his position within this
hierarchy, may be displaced by reprimanding and taking it out on his secretary. The
secretary may take her anger home and punish her son. Here the unacceptable urge
is vented in a manner that feels more acceptable to the ego and superego.
DEFENSE MECHANISMS
(REPRESSION)
An attempt to repress inappropriate, unfeasible, or guilt-
causing urges, memories, and wishes (all usually of the id)
to the level of the unconscious, where they will be out of
sight, if not out of mind.

The ability to repress dangerous or unsettling thoughts

turns out to be vital to the individual’s ability to negotiate his
way through life.
DEFENSE MECHANISMS
(REPRESSION)

If a child had never learned to repress the urge to steal his

sister’s ice cream cone, for example, he would have spent
years in punishment. This is the most common of the
defense mechanisms and we will often see repression
used by sexual abuse victims and war veterans as a
means to attempt functioning in their daily lives by “putting
away” these memories that are too difficult to recall.
DEFENSE MECHANISMS
(IDENTIFICATION)
It attempts to increase your feelings of self-worth by
identifying with a person or institution of higher, more
illustrious standing

Example: joining a fraternity, religious affiliations, and

professional organizations
DEFENSE MECHANISMS
(SOMATIZATION)

The unconscious transformation of

unacceptable impulses or feelings into
physical symptoms

Example, head or stomach aches that can’t

be confirmed medically yet are present and
specifically related to triggering stimuli
DEFENSE MECHANISMS
(REGRESSION)

defined as returning to an example: an older child

earlier level of functioning returning to bed wetting
(childlike behaviors) or a or thumb sucking after
lower-level aspiration the birth of a new sibling
during stressful periods or midlife crisis behaviors
in one’s life for adults
DEFENSE MECHANISMS
(DENIAL)

The unconscious discounting of external reality

This is exemplified by the parent who finds drug paraphernalia

in their child’s bag and accepts the child’s explanation that they
were holding it for a friend versus dealing with the reality of their
discovery that their child may have a problem
DEFENSE MECHANISMS
(SUBLIMATION)

It is acting out an Rather than give

unacceptable into the urge of
impulse in a hurting people the
sociably acceptable individual takes up
way boxing
DEFENSE MECHANISMS
(SPLITTING)

This is selectively focusing on only part of a person to meet a current

state of need, seeing people as either all good or all bad, which
serves to relieve the uncertainty engendered by the fact that people
have both bad and good qualities

This is quite normal in childhood, since as children develop, they

have a “black and white” absolute way of viewing the world
DEFENSE MECHANISMS
(DISSOCIATION)

Example: dissociative
amnesia, that is, witnessing
It is mentally separating
a violent act and afterward
part of consciousness from
not being able to recall the
reality, which can result in
events, even leading up to
forgetting certain events
or directly after the
triggering event.
DEFENSE MECHANISMS
(COMPENSATION)

It attempts to cover up a weakness by emphasizing

a more desirable trait or making up for frustration in
one area by gratification in another

This is demonstrated by the student poor in

academics and makes up for it with their strength
in athletics or vice versa
PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY
(CONCLUSION)

A polygraph examination is a psychophysiological

process

While the examiner does not have to be a psychologist or

physiologist to be a good examiner, a basic understanding
of these sciences is necessary and required to conduct the
examination and understand the data being collected