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Myth #23: The Polygraph (“Lie Detector”) Test is an Accurate Means of Detecting Dishonesty

Lyndi Melton, Levi Prestidge, and Montana Doty General Psychology Alexandra Alayan May 5, 2020

2 Myth #23: The Polygraph (“Lie Detector”) Test is an Accurate Means of Detecting Dishonesty

Polygraph Tests Researchers have long searched for ways to definitively detect when someone is lying. One of the best-known methods, the polygraph test, is based on the theory that lying alters normal psychophysiological patterns that can be detected by sensitive machinery (Psychology Today). A polygraph machine provides a continuous record of physiological activity such as skin conductance, blood pressure, and respiration on a chart (50 Myths p.117). Several questioning techniques are commonly used in polygraph tests. The most widely used test format for subjects in criminal incident investigations is the Control Question Test (CQT). The CQT compares responses to "relevant" questions ("Did you shoot your wife?"), with those of "control" questions. The control questions are designed to control for the effect of the generally threatening nature of relevant questions. Control questions concern misdeeds that are similar to those being investigated, but refer to the subject's past and are usually broad in scope; for example, "Have you ever betrayed anyone who trusted you?" (APA). Although popular in crime dramas and movies, the test has long been controversial, with no evidence that there are definitive fluctuations in physiology. Evidence suggests that those with certain psychiatric disorders, like Antisocial Personality Disorder, cannot be accurately measured by a polygraph or other common lie-detection methods. Deception No one likes being deceived, but as human beings, we develop deception from a young age and it gradually becomes more natural throughout life. One of the biggest questions about

3 lying surrounds motive. It’s a multifaceted topic, but researchers have broken down why people lie systematically (APA). Reasons why people lie fall into four categories: to promote oneself, to protect oneself, to impact others, or no reason at all. The truth is, everyone lies. For generations, there has always been a desire to avoid deception in everyday situations. Research has revealed several areas where people lie regularly, and especially on their resumes and in interviews (Psychology Today). It is no secret that some people are better at lying than others and the fact that some lies go undetected makes trust a lot harder to come by. The polygraph allows an individual to indicate dishonesty and reveal answers to doubtful questions. So, of course, there are a lot of people who put a lot of trust in lie detector tests. If there was a way to detect lying, who would not take advantage of it? The Myth The polygraph was initially heralded by its proponents as a triumph of science and something that was capable of transforming criminal investigations; however, it has severely struggled to live up to these expectations. The validity of polygraph examinations to detect deception has long been a controversial issue. Polygraph examinations have been advocated as a way to ascertain guilt of criminal suspects, to exculpate innocent suspects, to protect national security, and to maintain employee honesty (APA). Polygraph examinations have, at the same time, been criticized for providing inaccurate and misleading information, for failing to detect security risks, for interfering with the rights of private citizens, and for lowering employees' morale (APA). Stated earlier, the polygraph test measures physiological activity such as skin conductance, blood pressure, and respiration on a chart. In result, the polygraph or lie detector test is known to be misnamed; it is truly an arousal detector instead (50 Myths). In reality, anyone can easily fail a polygraph test. An honest person may be nervous when answering

4 truthfully and a dishonest person may be non-anxious. A particular problem is that polygraph research has not separated placebo-like effects from the actual relationship between deception and their physiological responses (Psychology Today). Despite the lack of good research validating polygraph tests, efforts are on-going to develop and assess new approaches. Some work involves use of additional autonomic physiologic indicators, such as cardiac output and skin temperature. Such measures, however, are more specific to deception than polygraph tests. All in all, there is no such thing a lie detector. It’s easy to make people frightened and angry. But the machine cannot tell if one person is angry, another frightened, or whether one or both are being deceptive (Psychology Today). If you’ve ever had the experience of denying a false accusation and still feeling guilty, you can understand. Wouldn’t your palms sweat if you were suspected of murder? Ironically, the true criminal may be so accustomed to the psychodynamics of lying and denial that he can fool the examiner more easily. Although the idea of a lie detector is comforting, the most practical advice is to remain skeptical about any conclusion from a polygraph test.

5 References Deception. (n.d.). Retrieved May 08, 2020, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/deception

Lilienfeld, S. O. (2011). 50 great myths of popular psychology: Shattering widespread misconceptions about human behavior. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.

The Truth About Lie Detectors (aka Polygraph Tests). (2004). Retrieved May 08, 2020, from https://www.apa.org/research/action/polygraph...