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Myth #6: The Polygraph Test is an Accurate Means of Detecting Lies On Penn and Teller's "Bullshit" show they did an episode about this. One of the more disturb

by gcheong 16y ago

Myth #6: The Polygraph Test is an Accurate Means of Detecting Lies On Penn and Teller's "Bullshit" show they did an episode about this. One of the more disturbing things I learned is that, despite internal research that showed no effectiveness whatsoever, Sandia National Laboratories went ahead with the decision to require random polygraph testing. Also, apparently you can use your anal sphincter muscles to outwit a polygraph test.

Evgeny 16y ago
apparently you can use your anal sphincter muscles to outwit a polygraph test. I'm interested to learn more about this technique - any links/keywords?
- gcheong 16y ago
  This is a clip from the episode explaining how it works: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsoI92BfmqY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsoI92BfmqY
rdtsc 16y ago
Actually polygraph tests kind of work but not for the reasons people think they work. They work only if those administering the polygraph tests manage to convince those taking the test that the polygraph tests work. Security agencies, when their administer the polygraph, will ask the subject how well they are familiar with how polygraphs work. Sometimes they will drop some polygraph test jargons words into the conversation to see if the subject reacts to them. Knowing the truth about the polygraph test usually renders the polygraph test ineffective. Such subjects usually "fail" the test because of attempt to use "counter-measures". As for sphincter muscles, the pin in the shoe, some basic breathing tricks -- those are easily detectable by "expert" polygraph administrators. The danger of polygraph tests is that they actually prevent people who are too honest to pass, but they will let sociopaths or those who lie slightly to pass easier.
- tetha 16y ago
  I really, relly like the urban myth about polygraphs. There was this man, and he was not confessing. Thus, creative police officers got a lettuce sieve, attached it with some wires to a copier and put a paper reading "He lied" on the copier. Given this, they put the sieve on his head and whenever he said something they had a slight doubt about, they pushed the lie detector button and the lie was "detected". Eventually the man confessed. Its an urban legend, but it illustrates the point quite nicely in my opinion.
  - quantumhobbit 16y ago
    There was a scene depicting this in "The Wire". They simply put the suspects hand on the copier surface, he had never seen a copier before, and the lights freaked him out. I don't know if the show took inspiration from the urban legend or if maybe the legend can be traced back to the show. Either way, I highly recommend the Wire.
Tycho 16y ago
Thought proper polygraph tests were not so much designed to detect lies as to detect reactions to information that giveaway the subject's involvement in a crime. For instance say they're asking random control questions about items of clothing, then amidst this they show/describe the exact clothes that the victim wore - an innocent person will be oblivious whereas a guilty suspect might be momentarily startled. There's various approaches but none of them are just 'did you kill this man? Were you really at home watching TV?'

by gcheong 16y ago

Evgeny 16y ago

apparently you can use your anal sphincter muscles to outwit a polygraph test. I'm interested to learn more about this technique - any links/keywords?

gcheong 16y ago
This is a clip from the episode explaining how it works: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsoI92BfmqY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsoI92BfmqY

rdtsc 16y ago

Actually polygraph tests kind of work but not for the reasons people think they work. They work only if those administering the polygraph tests manage to convince those taking the test that the polygraph tests work. Security agencies, when their administer the polygraph, will ask the subject how well they are familiar with how polygraphs work. Sometimes they will drop some polygraph test jargons words into the conversation to see if the subject reacts to them. Knowing the truth about the polygraph test usually renders the polygraph test ineffective. Such subjects usually "fail" the test because of attempt to use "counter-measures". As for sphincter muscles, the pin in the shoe, some basic breathing tricks -- those are easily detectable by "expert" polygraph administrators. The danger of polygraph tests is that they actually prevent people who are too honest to pass, but they will let sociopaths or those who lie slightly to pass easier.

tetha 16y ago
I really, relly like the urban myth about polygraphs. There was this man, and he was not confessing. Thus, creative police officers got a lettuce sieve, attached it with some wires to a copier and put a paper reading "He lied" on the copier. Given this, they put the sieve on his head and whenever he said something they had a slight doubt about, they pushed the lie detector button and the lie was "detected". Eventually the man confessed. Its an urban legend, but it illustrates the point quite nicely in my opinion.
- quantumhobbit 16y ago
  There was a scene depicting this in "The Wire". They simply put the suspects hand on the copier surface, he had never seen a copier before, and the lights freaked him out. I don't know if the show took inspiration from the urban legend or if maybe the legend can be traced back to the show. Either way, I highly recommend the Wire.

Tycho 16y ago

Thought proper polygraph tests were not so much designed to detect lies as to detect reactions to information that giveaway the subject's involvement in a crime. For instance say they're asking random control questions about items of clothing, then amidst this they show/describe the exact clothes that the victim wore - an innocent person will be oblivious whereas a guilty suspect might be momentarily startled. There's various approaches but none of them are just 'did you kill this man? Were you really at home watching TV?'