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Polygraph tests don't depend on secrecy. I, and millions of other people, have received one and it's fairly well documented. From what I can tell, the way that
by anonymous-c 18y ago
Polygraph tests don't depend on secrecy. I, and millions of other people, have received one and it's fairly well documented. From what I can tell, the way that they polygraph criminals and people in intelligence is roughly the same.
It's used as more of a method to trick you into telling the truth than it is to detect lies. I don't think it's very easy to beat unless you teach yourself how to regulate your heartbeat.
- rjprins 18y agoIt is in fact very easy to beat. You don't have to control your hartbeat, you have to overreact to control questions (performing heavy mental calculations combined with holding your breath 2 seconds will do the trick!), so your (normal) response to the important questions will be less severe in comparison. If your response to control question is stronger than your response to relevant questions, you pass the test. It that simple.
- anonymous-c 18y agoIt's really not as simple as these anti-polygraph sites would have you believe. There's a sensor that's strapped around your chest. If your breathing is irregular, they'll detect it. Also, doing anything mentally draining while someone is asking you a question and answering it correctly is not easy. At some point, you're going to have to focus on the question. You'd have to be able to consistently deceive them for every question and keep at it for several hours. They don't necessarily tell you which questions are the control and they'll slip in questions that you'll have to think about and answer honestly. They'll catch your baseline with those. At times, they'll intentionally try to agitate you by accusing you of lying. It's difficult to keep cool and it will throw you off balance. You'll forget that you were trying to trick them. The government knows about all of these stupid little tricks. People used to put pins in their shoe or contract their anal sphincter muscle to generate a response. Examiners now have sensors under your feet and ass. These tests aren't designed to simply detect that you're lying. They want to push your buttons and make you crack.
- eru 18y agoSilence is not a good a working strategy, I guess?
- anonymous-c 18y agoA polygraph is not the same as law enforcement questioning you. You're taking it because you want a security clearance or you want to keep your parole. You can be stubborn about it and lie and insist that they've got it wrong, but your reading will show that you're holding back on them. If they sense that you're trying to deceive them, they'll fail you.
- eru 18y agoThanks. We do not have that polygraphing here in Germany.
- Derrek 18y agoOver a 22-year period, Robert Hanssen, one of the most notorious spies in US history, passed several polygraph tests during his tenure at the FBI while he also sold secrets to Russia.
- uuilly 18y agoBoth hanssen and Ames came up inconclusive in their polys. But they were able to cleverly explain them away. Coming up inconclusive is easy, passing outright is hard. To get a job at an intel shop you must pass. The problem with Ames and hanssen was in the organization, not the poly.
- uuilly 18y agoBoth hanssen and Ames came up inconclusive in their polys. But they were able to cleverly explain them away. Coming up inconclusive is easy, passing outright is hard. To get a job at an intel shop you must pass. The problem with Ames and hanssen was in the organization, not the poly.
- yters 18y agoCan you speak from experience?
- CaptainMorgan 18y agoExcellent question and I'd like to see an answer - as I was thinking this too when I saw that post. Cheers