Information on Failing a Lie Detector Test
Opinions differ about the validity of polygraph, or lie detector, results. However, according to studies done by the Federation of American Scientists, due to the laws of probability, there will be false positives (meaning some innocent people would test as telling lies) due to different circumstances. These circumstances are wide-ranging and encompass variables from the setting of the test to the person taking it and can cause a person to fail a lie detector test.
Other People Are Reading
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Exam Administrator
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The experience that a test administrator has can affect whether or not someone fails a test. In a study done with both experienced and less experienced administrators, 91.4 percent of the experienced judgments were correct, but only 77.5 percent of the less experienced judgments were correct.
Person Being Tested
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A person's level of sociality can affect how his body responds to the test. In a study done using college students, the ones who were less social had a lower deception score than the students who were more social. Gender could have a supposed difference in test outcomes because men and women think differently, however, there is no evidence to support this.
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Factors Assessed
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Polygraph tests assess factors like heart rate and blood pressure, as stated in a Washington Post article about the questionable results of lie detector tests. Any sort of anxiety can affect the results. Anxious innocent people could be deemed deceptive, whereas people who calmly tell lies can pass the test. There are also tests that are conducted in rooms where a person's physical responses can be analyzed to see if he is telling the truth.
Countermeasures
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Countermeasures can be taken by people to deceive the test in order to pass. They do not work all the time but have worked in the past. One of these is the use of tranquilizers. These relax the person so there is less risk of anxiety. Another measure involves making a person think he is innocent or telling the truth.
Effects
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There are many horror stories about people who have failed polygraph tests. Government agencies such as the CIA, FBI and police departments often use these tests to screen their incoming applicants. There are many cases, however, where failing can jeopardize a person's employment or even advancement within a job.
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