Definition
The polygraph measures blood volume, breathing, pulse, and sweat rate of examinees to guide the polygraphist in determining truth and deception.
Introduction
Since the inception of deception detection, physiological stress was always a problematic measurement. Heightened stress responses are often misinterpreted as deception because there is not a single distinctive stress response for deception. Unless this distinctive stress response exists or is identified, no machine would be able to detect lies, specifically the polygraph. When guided by the polygraph, the only capable lie detectors are the prepared polygraphists who carefully study their examinee’s physiological responses to control and relevant questions and attempts to beat the machine.
A Brief History on Truth and Deception
Deception started before our first language as humans and played a critical role in the personal gain and survival of many species. For example, anglerfishes use a shiny lure in the shape of a...
References
Aftergood, S. (2000). Essays on science and society: Polygraph testing and the DOE National Laboratories. Science, 290, 939–940.
Bandler, R., Grinder, J., & Andreas, S. (1979). Frogs into princes: Neuro linguistic programming. Moab: Real People Press.
Brown, T., & Fee, E. (2002). Walter Bradford Cannon: Pioneer physiologist of human emotions. Retrieved 16 May 2015, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1447286/
Gershman, B. (1998). Lie detection: The Supreme Court’s polygraph decision. New York State Bar Journal. Retrieved 5 May 2015, from http://digitalcommons.pace.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1613&context=lawfaculty
Grubin, D., & Madsen, L. (2005). Lie detection and the polygraph: A historical review. The Journal of Forensic Psychiatry & Psychology, 16, 357–369.
Leafloor. (2014). http://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends/truth-about-lie-detection-ancient-and-modern-times-002125
Lewis, J., & Cuppari, M. (2009). The polygraph: The truth lies within. The Journal of Psychiatry & Law, 37, 85–92.
Lykken, D. (1998). A tremor in the blood: Uses and abuses of the lie detector. New York: Plenum Trade.
Matte, J. (2011). Commentary on: Horvath F, Palmatier JJ. Critique of Horvath-Palmatier laboratory study on effectiveness of exclusive v. non-exclusive control questions in polygraph examination. J Forensic Sci 2008; 53(4):889–99. Journal of Forensic Sciences, 56(6), 1664–1667.
Meijer, E., & Verschuere, B. (2010). The polygraph and the detection of deception. Journal of Forensic Psychology Practice, 10(4), 325–338. https://doi.org/10.1080/15228932.2010.481237.
National Research Council. (2003). The polygraph and lie detection. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/10420.
NTLS. (2015). http://discoversinai.net/english/bisha-the-ordeal-by-fire-of-the-bedouin/8734
Owen, J. (2015). https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/10/151019-playing-dead-frog-possum-toad-animals-behavior-science/
Reid, J. (1945). Simulated blood pressure responses in lie-detector tests and a method for their detection. Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology (1931–1951), 36(3), 201–201.
Reid, J. E., & Inbau, F. E. (1977). Truth and deception: The polygraph (“lie-detector”) technique. Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins.
Synnott, J., Dietzel, D., & Ioannou, M. (2015). A review of the polygraph: History, methodology and current status. Crime Psychology Review, 1(1), 59–83.
Trovillo, P. (1939). History of lie detection. The Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, 29(6), 848–881.
Further Reading
Gordon, N. J., & Fleisher, W. L. (2017). Effective interviewing and interrogation techniques. Amsterdam: Elsevier Academic Press.
Lykken, D. (1998). A tremor in the blood: Uses and abuses of the lie detector. New York: Plenum Trade.
Reid, J. E., & Inbau, F. E. (1977). Truth and deception: The polygraph (“lie-detector”) technique. Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 This is a U.S. Government work and not under copyright protection in the U.S.; foreign copyright protection may apply
About this entry
Cite this entry
Chen, F. (2019). Investigations: Polygraph Use. In: Shapiro, L., Maras, MH. (eds) Encyclopedia of Security and Emergency Management. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69891-5_82-4
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69891-5_82-4
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-69891-5
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-69891-5
eBook Packages: Springer Reference Law and CriminologyReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences
Publish with us
Chapter history
-
Latest
Investigations: Polygraph Use- Published:
- 14 May 2019
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69891-5_82-4
-
Investigations: Polygraph Use
- Published:
- 08 March 2019
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69891-5_82-3
-
Investigations: Polygraph Use
- Published:
- 12 November 2018
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69891-5_82-2
-
Original
Investigations: Polygraph Use- Published:
- 29 September 2018
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69891-5_82-1