John Oswald Cruz 3RD YEAR 2ND SEM

Polygraph BS- CRIMINOLOGY

Week 12

POLYGRAPH TECHNIQUES

At present, there is a number of polygraph techniques available in the field of

polygraphy. The accuracy of polygraphy rests primarily on the proper application of

polygraph technique in a particular examination.

Two Principal Approaches to Polygraph Examination

1. Deception Tests - are the most commonly used approaches, and they include the

Comparison Question Technique and Relevant/ Irrelevant Questions.

2. Recognition Tests - include the Peak of Tension, Concealed Information and

Acquaintance Tests.

Two Types of Polygraph Examination

1. Mixed Issue Exam - multiple-issue polygraph testing like screening of applicants or

audit of employees or persons with security clearances.

2. Diagnostic Exam - a test that involves a specific case investigation.

Types of Diagnostic Examination

1. Single Issue Diagnostic Exam - a test that inquires direct involvement of the subject

in a specific case under question.

2. Multi-facet Diagnostic Exam - test format in which the relevant questions are targeted

toward different elements of the same crime.

John Oswald Cruz 3RD YEAR 2ND SEM

Polygraph BS- CRIMINOLOGY

Types of Polygraph Test/Techniques

1. Relevant-Irrelevant (RI)

2. The peak of Tension Test (POT)

3. Comparison Question Test (CQT)

A. RELEVANT-IRRELEVANT TEST (RI)

The RI consists primarily of the irrelevant and relevant questions presented in a

structured sequence.

BRIEF HISTORY

RI has been used in the 1920’s and 1930’s by polygraph pioneer John Larson.

However, it was fully developed into a recognized testing format by leonard keeler. With

the addition of probable lie questions, it forms the basis of the valid testing format. In the

1980’s, Paul K. Minor added questions that were connected to the relevant issue and

designed to relieve normal feelings of guilt, anger, frustrations or concern felt by the

innocent examinee. These questions, referred to as situational controls, formed the

basis of Modified RI testing technique.

Forms of RI

1. Relevant-irrelevant screening exam

2. Relevant-Irrelevant Diagnostic Exam

3. Modified relevant-irrelevant diagnostic exam

John Oswald Cruz 3RD YEAR 2ND SEM

Polygraph BS- CRIMINOLOGY

Test Questions Constituting RI screening

1. Relevant Questions

2. Irrelevant or Neutral

3. Overall truth questions – similar in function to a traditional sacrifice relevant

question.

Ex. TI – do you plan to lie?

T2 – Do you intend to be completely truthful, have you been completely truthful – to all

questions on this test?

T3 – Will you answer, did you answer every question in this test truthfully?

CODES:

N = norm or irrelevant question

R = Relevant Question

T = overall truth questions

John Oswald Cruz 3RD YEAR 2ND SEM

Polygraph BS- CRIMINOLOGY

C1, C2, C3 = Number of charts

 = Optional

() = Denotes location for repeating questions that may have been artifact or showed

reactivity on previous presentation.

Test Questions Constituting RI Diagnostic Exam 1. Relevant Question

2. Irrelevant Question

3. Overall Truth Question

4. Stimulus Question - it is used to determine if the examinee has the ability to

physiologically respond. It should be the last question on the last chart of a series.

(Identified by the capital the letter "S".)

Ex. Do you feel your integrity has been questioned because you were asked to take this

polygraph examination? Are you afraid you might fail the polygraph examination even

though you are telling the truth? Do you feel angry because you were asked to take this

examination?

Formatting Rules

1. Each chart must begin with two relevant or one irrelevant and one overall truth

question.

2. The total test must produce three presentations of relevant questions.

3. No relevant question can be repeated during a single chart.

John Oswald Cruz 3RD YEAR 2ND SEM

Polygraph BS- CRIMINOLOGY

4. No more than three relevant questions can be presented in a row without the

insertion of an irrelevant question.

5. The overall truth question must be asked either before the first relevant question or

after the last relevant question.

6. Normally, it should not contain more than 12 questions,

7. If used, the stimulus question should be the last question on

the last chart.

8. Questions should be rotated on each chart for a fresh look.

9. The most responsive relevant question should not be asked as the first relevant

question of the next chart.

10. No sensitivity or cardio pressure changes should be made after the first relevant

question is asked on a chart.

Sample Set of Test Question (RI Diagnostic Exam)

A. Do you live in the Philippines? (Irrelevant)

B. Is today Sunday? (Irrelevant)

T-1. Do you plan to lie on any question of this test? (Overall, Truth) 1,

1. Did you help anyone take that missing money from the vault? (Relevant)

2. Did you take any of that missing money from the vault? (Relevant)

C. Is this the month of October? (Irrelevant)

John Oswald Cruz 3RD YEAR 2ND SEM

Polygraph BS- CRIMINOLOGY

3. Do you know who takes that missing money from the vault? (Relevant)

4. Did you conspire with anyone in taking that missing (Relevant)

T-2. Did you answer all questions on this test truthfully? (Overall truth - optional)

S-1. Are you afraid you might fail the test even though telling the truth? (Stimulus

Question - Used as the last question of the last chart if the examinee has been

generally unresponsive.)

Modified Relevant-Irrelevant (MRI)

The modification of RI calls for the addition of situation control questions.

Test Questions Constituting Modified RI Diagnostic Exam

1. Relevant Question

2. Irrelevant Question

3. Overall Truth Question (Identified by the capital letter "T")

4. Situational Control - a question connected to the relevant issue and designed to

relieve normal feelings of guilt, and anger. frustration or concern felt by the innocent

examinee. It is answerable by "yes".

John Oswald Cruz 3RD YEAR 2ND SEM

Polygraph BS- CRIMINOLOGY

5. Stimulus Question - it is used to determine if the examinee has the ability to

physiologically respond. It should be the last question on the last chart of a series.

(Identified by the capital letter "S".)

Sample Set of Test Question (MRI)

A. (Irrelevant Question)

B. (Irrelevant Question)

T. (Overall Truth)

1. Have friends seen you and your wife argue in public in the past

six months? (Situational Control)

2. Were you in the process of getting divorced from your wife (Situational Control)

C. (Irrelevant)

3. Did you tell the police that you found your wife stabbed to

death at your home on June 28? (Situational Control)

4. Did you stab your wife? (Relevant)

5. Did you stab your wife at your home on June 28? (Relevant)

D. (Irrelevant)

S. Are you afraid you might fail the test even though you are tens the truth? (Stimulus -

Used as the last question of the last chart the examinee has been generally

unresponsive)
John Oswald Cruz 3RD YEAR 2ND SEM

Polygraph BS- CRIMINOLOGY

Interpretation of Physiological Reactions in RI

The prevailing method of interpretation is global analysis. With this method, examiners

look for significant reactions that occur on.

The same questions repeatedly. “Conspecnificance” is the name given to the principle:

consistency of reaction to a specific question with significant magnitude. Random or

insignificant reactions are disregarded, some examiners use checkmarks on a particular

question, the examiner explores the topic further with the examinee and conduct a re-

test regarding that question using a single-issue diagnostic exam.

B. PEAK OF TENSION TEST (POT)

The POT test has been used since the beginning of polygraphy tinued to be helpful in

some polygraph cases. Most polygraph examiner iners conduct POT after a CQT has

indicated deception in order infirm the findings or to help investigators search for

evidence.

Two Types of POT Test

1. Known Solution Peak of Tension Test (KSPOT) - is used to determine whether the

examinee is aware of details of a crime that had been kept from the general public and

would presumably only be known to the perpetrator of the crime or those with

incriminating knowledge.

2. Searching Peak of Tension Test (SPOT) - is used to determine details of a crime that

are not known to officials, such as the location of an unrecovered body, but would be

known to a participant in the crime.

John Oswald Cruz 3RD YEAR 2ND SEM

Polygraph BS- CRIMINOLOGY

Terms to Consider in POT Test

1. False Key - a question placed in the KSPOT to distract the innocent examinee.

2. Key - item in the POT that focuses on a detail of a crime that would only be

recognized by the guilty deceptive person and not of the truthful examinee.

3. Padding - items in the SPOT that would be recognized by the guilty person as

unrelated to the crime and also would be seen by the examinee as equally probable as

the key.

4. Possible Keys - items in the SPOT that encompass crime details known to the

deceptive subject but not to investigators. Used to reveal the location of evidence, name

of accomplices, or other details of interest to the investigators.

5. Cover-All Question - a question used in the SPOT to determine whether the

concealed information was not captured in the other possible keys.

Guidelines in the Construction of KSPOT Test

1. The KSPOT always contains 6 to 9 items.

2. There must be at least two padding questions before and after the key. If more than

one KSPOT test is conducted, the key to ich test is placed in a different position than

the other tests.

3. the key must be verified act, and one that the guilty would recognize

4. each key must be fully exclusive with the other keys

Guidelines in the Construction of SPOT test

John Oswald Cruz 3RD YEAR 2ND SEM

Polygraph BS- CRIMINOLOGY

1. It has about 9 to 10 items.

2. It is constructed with 4 or 5 possible keys.

3. There must be at least 2 padding questions before and possible keys. Padding

questions must be impossible so that they cannot become possible keys.

4. The possible keys must be exhaustive and mutually excl. that is, all possibilities must

be covered but there must be no overlapping among the keys.

5. A cover-all question is recommended in case the true key is not among the possible

keys.

6. The examinee must recognize the true key.

Conducting a POT Test

1. Each test begins with a preparatory case that clearly states

what the test covers, and which is used only once at the beginning of the test. Ex.

Regarding the type of weapon used to threaten Gabriel

Yu.........? 2. Each item is preceded by a standard phrase such as was it, is

that person, is it located in, etc..

Ex.

• Was it a knife? • Was it a pistol?

• Was it a rifle?

3. The questions are always reviewed with the examinee before the test.
John Oswald Cruz 3RD YEAR 2ND SEM

Polygraph BS- CRIMINOLOGY

4. The examinee answers "no" to all of the questions.

5. Visual aids (maps, photos, diagrams, question list) should

be placed in front of the examinee to augment the verbal

presentation of the questions, especially with the SPOT test.

6. Each POT test is conducted at least three times and questions

are spaced 15 - 20 seconds apart. For the first two tests, the order of the questions is

exactly the same as they were reviewed with the examinee before the test. For the third

test, the order is reversed and the examinee is advised in advance. A fourth chart is

permitted with a mixed question order if the three not result in a definite opinion.

Interpretation of Physiological Reactions in POT Test

The prevailing method of interpretation is global analysis. In this method, examiners

look for significant reactions that occ the same questions repeatedly.

"Conspecnificance” is the name of the principle: consistency of reaction to a specific

queue with significant magnitude. disregarded. Some examiners use checkmarks o that

is, the question receive are two or more checkmark explores the topic furth regarding

that question inners use checkmarks on a particular question, question receives a

checkmark on the scoresheet. If there Demarks on a particular question, the examiner

further with the examinee and conduct a re-test that question using a single-issue

diagnostic exam

COMPARISON QUESTION TEST (CQT)

John Oswald Cruz 3RD YEAR 2ND SEM

Polygraph BS- CRIMINOLOGY

an umbrella term for standard testing formats that use e directed-lie control questions.

In the comparison questions, the relevant questions are compared with the control

probable-lie or direct technique, the relevant a questions via numerical scoring.

one of the major contributions to polygraphy in the last fifty Wheen the John E. Reid's

control questions. He indicated that the action for developing this procedure was to

reduce the number of inclusive charts and apply to some form of the measuring system

that he felt was not available in relevant/irrelevant techniques.

Variations of CQT

1. Backster Zone Comparison Question Technique (Backster ZCT)

2. Federal Zone Comparison Technique (Federal ZCT)

3. the United States Air Force Modified General Question Technique (USAF MGQT)

4. Test for Espionage and Sabotage (TES)

5. Concealed Information Test (CIT)

6. Utah Zone Comparison Technique (Utah ZCT)

BACKSTER ZCT

In 1963, Cleve Backster refined the control question and further explained the technique

in terms of Psychological Set Theory in which the involuntary focusing of the examinee's

psychological attention toward particular test questions. With this, the Backter Zone

Comparison Technique was developed.

John Oswald Cruz 3RD YEAR 2ND SEM

Polygraph BS- CRIMINOLOGY

Test Questions Constituting the Backster ZCT

1. Irrelevant/Neutral Question

2. Symptomatic

3. Control Question

4. Relevant Question

FEDERAL ACT
John Oswald Cruz 3RD YEAR 2ND SEM

Polygraph BS- CRIMINOLOGY

A polygraph technique developed by Department of Defense polygraph institute

(DoDPI) now defense academy for credibility assessment (DACA). It can be used with

two to three relevant questions for single or multi-facet diagnostics exams.

BRIEF HISTOY

Department of Defense polygraph institute was a federal polygraph training institution

and research center, located at ft. Jackson South Carolina. It has three core missions:

polygraph training, quality assurance and research. DoDPI was established and

dedicated on April 15 1986 by general Stillwell, then undersecretary for the army. It was

formerly part of the U.S army military police school (USAMPS) from 1951 to 1986. The

DoDPI developed its own polygraph technique called federal ZCT which still being used

by polygraph examiners in federal government and some other countries.

TEST QUESTIONS CONSTITUTING FEDERAL ZCT

1. Neutral

2. Sacrifice relevant question

3. Symptomatic question

4. Relevant question
John Oswald Cruz 3RD YEAR 2ND SEM

Polygraph BS- CRIMINOLOGY

The federal ZCT always uses three control questions, two symptomatic and one

irrelevant question. A two or three relevant question may be used depending on the

need. These relevant questions may be primary relevant for single-issue test or a

combination of any of the types of relevant questions for multi-facet exam. In any of

these, a control question should come first before the relevant question.

Sample Set of Test Question (Single Issue)

1. Is your name ____? (N)

2. Regarding the missing money from the vault on dec 13 2008 are you willing to

answer the questions truthfully? (SR)

3. Do you believe I will only ask the questions we have reviewed? (B)

4. Between the ages of ____ and ____ did you ever steal anything of value? (C)

5. Did you take that missing money? (R)

John Oswald Cruz 3RD YEAR 2ND SEM

Polygraph BS- CRIMINOLOGY

6. Prior to _____ did you ever steal from someone who trusted you? (C)

7. Did you take that missing money in the vault? (R)

8. Are you afraid I will ask you a question we have not reviewed? (B)

9. While in ____ did you ever steal anything of value from a friend? (C)

10. Did you take that missing money on December 13 2008? (R)

CODES:

N = NEUTRAL

SR = SACRIFICE RELEVANT

B = SYMPTOMATIC

C = CONTROL

R = RELEVANT

SAMPLE SET OF TEST QUESTIONS (MULTI-FACET)

1. Neutral

2. Sacrifice relevant

3. Symptomatic

4. Comparison

5. Did you take that missing money from the adult? (R)

6. Comparison
John Oswald Cruz 3RD YEAR 2ND SEM

Polygraph BS- CRIMINOLOGY

7. Did you participat in the taking of that missing money?

It is permissible to rotate the comparison and relevant after the first chart in order to

avoid habituation may be rotated from the sequence.

The examiner conducting the examination should charts. A fourth to the fifth chart may

be run if one of the three charts was contaminated by movements or countermeasures.

It is important to note that all these questions should be reviewed with the subject prior

to the administration of the test. A review of questions should be done in the following

order:

1. Sacrifice relevant question

2. Relevant questions

3. Control questions

4. Irrelevant question

5. Symptomatic Questions

Questions which are unclear or not understandable with the subject should be modified.

If the subject made an admission on the comparison question, a phrase "Other than"

should be placed at the beginning of question where the subject made an admission.