Testing The Validity Of The Polygraph In Detecting Lies From Physiological Responses

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the suspect was lying (Kleinmuntz & Szucko, 1984).

The polygraph is the modern method of lie detection. Early research into the polygraph came from Leaonard Keeler in the 1930s who made the first modern polygraph and emphasised it's role as an interrogation tool. (Alder, 1998). Today the polygraph plays a major role in society, the United States, Canada and Isreal frequently employ polygraph testing in criminal investigations (Raskin 1990). The theory behind the polygraph testing is that a measurable physiological response will occur when the suspect is afraid of detection. This happens in the sympathetic nervous system which is responsible for heart rate, respiration rate, blood pressure and perspiration. Electrodes attached to different parts of the body measure the physiological responses which are believed to increase when a person is lying (Ekman, 1992). However there is no physiological response unique to lying (Saxe, 1991), therefore the polygraph will ...

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& Offe (2007), a mock crime study was conducted where the control questions were explained before the test, as opposed to being unexplained. Results found an increase in accuracy rates of 90% in conditions where explanation was given. However the Control Question Test has been controversial. Kircher and Raskin (1988) provided research indicating this technique is very effective whereas Lyken (1981) highlighted it makes false positive errors, this is where innocent suspects are deemed guilty . The validity of the polygraph instrument has also caused much debate. In a meta-analysis of 14 mock crime studies detection of lies using the polygraph ranged from 71% accuracy to 100% ...

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