CHAPTER VII

TYPES OF POLYGRAPH TESTS AND QUESTIONS

TEST 1. GENERAL QUESTION TEST

• This test is about the case under investigation. There are sequence of
relevant, irrelevant and control questions asked in a designed order. The
questions are arranged in order to contrast the subject’s responses between
relevant questions and control questions. The answer is restricted to yes or no
only.
The sequence and sample of General Question Test are as follows:

1Q-Irrelevant – is your first name Pedro?

20-Irrelevant- Do you know that today is Monday?

3Q-Weak Relevant- Between 8:00 am to 10:00 am of September 10, 2000, did you open the table’s drawer of Mr. Juan
Dela Cruz?

• 4Q-Irrelevant- Are you a student?

• 5Q-Strong Relevant-Were you the one who actually stole the missing 100,000 cash

• money of Mr. Juan Dela Cruz?

• 6Q-Primary Control- Before attaining the age of 20 have you ever stolen anything?

• 7Q-Irrelevant- Do you know how to cook?

• 8Q-Evidence Connecting-Was the hat recovered under the table of Mr. Juan Dela

• Cruz, yours?

• 9Q-Knowledge Question- Do you know who stole the money of Mr. Juan Dela Cruz?

• 10Q-Secondary Control- Have you ever stolen anything from your current employment?
TEST II CARD OR NUMBER TEST
(STIMULATION OR VERIFICATION TEST)

• Upon finishing of the first test, here is another part of the test, the examiner
will show to the subject seven (7) variously numbered cards, face down, The
cards are set in such a way the examiner will right away know which card
has been chosen by the subject. The numbers 7, 11, and 13 should not be
used because other subjects are too superstitious and numbers 6 and 9 should
not be included to avoid confusion on the part of the subject. The card with
numbers 15, 8, 5, 3, 4, 14, and 12 are used.
• The subject is given an instruction to get a card, tool at it and memorize the
number of the card that was chosen and return it without showing it to the
examiner telling the number After the selection is finished, the examiner
shuffles the cards an will instruct the subject to answer “no” to each question
regarding the card, even if number of the card he has chosen is asked. In short
one of the subject’s answers to the questions will be a lie.

• The verification test is intended to assure the innocent examinee of the

accurateness of the test and of the test and of the competency of the
polygraphist further serves to arouse the guilty examinee.
TEST III. SPOT RESPONDER TEST
• This test contains question previously asked questions in General Question Tes (GOT). With the same number of the same question on
the earlier test, the sequence would be:
• 1Q-Irrelevant-is your first name Pedro?
• 3Q-Weak Relevant-Between 8:00 am to 10:00 am of September 10, 2000, did you open the table’s drawer of Mr. Juan Dela Cruz?
• 2Q-Irrelevant- Do you know that today is Monday?
• 5Q-Strong Relevant-Were you the one who actually stole the missing 100,000 cash money of Mr. Juan Dela Cruz?
• 6Q-Primary Control- Before attaining the age of 20 have you ever stolen anything?
• 7Q-Irrelevant-Do you know how to cook?
• 8Q-Evidence Connecting- Was the hat recovered under the table of Mr. Juan Dela Cruz, yours?
• 9Q-Knowledge Question-Do you know who stole the money of Mr. Juan Dela Cruz?
• 10Q-Secondary Control-Have you ever stolen anything from your current employment?
TEST IV MIXED QUESTION TEST

• The test is the same with Test III but questions of GQT is again mixed and the sequences of the question are
as follows:
• 4Q-Irrelevant-Are you a student?
• 1Q-Irrelevant-is your first name Pedro?
• 5Q-Strong Relevant-Were you the one who actually stole the missing 100,000 cash money of Mr. Juan Dela Cruz?
• 6Q-Primary Control Before attaining the age of 20 have you ever stolen anything?
• 10-Secondary Control Have you ever stolen anything from your current employment
• 9Q-Knowledge Question- Do you know who stole the money of Mr. Juan Dela Cruz?
• 8Q-Evidence Connecting-Was the hat recovered under the table of Mr. Juan Dela Cruz yours?
• 6Q-Primary Control- Before attaining the age of 20 have you ever stolen anything?
• 5Q-Strong Relevant- Were you the one who actually stole the missing 100,000 cash
money of Mr. Juan Dela Cruz?
• 2Q-Irrelevant- Do you know that today is Monday?
• 3Q-Weak Relevant- Between 8:00 am to 10:00 am of September 10, 2000, did you open
the table’s drawer of Mr. Juan Dela Cruz?
• 1Q-Secondary Control-Have you ever stolen anything from your current employment?
TEST V. SILENT ANSWER TEST (SAT)

• In this test the subject in instructed by the examiner to avoid from giving any verbal answer to the
questions that are to be asked of him during the test. The subject is instructed to pay attention to each
question and answer the question only to himself, silently. In short, the subject should “sub vocalize
his answer, in addition he should think of the truthful answer and give that truthful answer silently to
himself.
• Two important point was found to be essential in order to achieve the utmost benefits from the test:
First, the subject should understand clearly that on the Silent Answer Test (SAT) he will be asked of
the same question just like on his previous test and is exactly in the order they were asked before.
Secondly, it is significant for the subject to understand that though he is not to answer verbally any test
questions, he should answer all test questions silently in his mind with truthful answer only.
PURPOSE OF EACH TEST:

Test 1-The first two (2) Irrelevant Questions are designed to condition the subject to have
standard tracing and to establish truth-telling pattern for the primary part of the record.

Test II-To check feasible distortion when the selected number is asked.
• Test lll– To determine the responsiveness of the subject to critical questions and also
serve as a check on possibility of spot respond.
• Test IV – To compare the degree of reaction between Relevant and Control Question
• Test V-To serve as an affirmative check
SUPPLEMENTARY TEST

• In order to have a better conclusion special test may be conducted incorporated as part of the
standard procedure or may use as supplementary depending upon the result of the standard
test.
• 1. “YES” Test- in cases where a distortion arises on the general question card or third test, the
“yes” test should be administered before the mixed question test.
• The “YES” test is performed by giving instruction to the subject to answer ‘ all the questions
to b asked, including those questions that pertains to the issue investigation. The control
question is removed as a preventive measure for the s to avoid from being concerned over the
control questions and having a temptation distort the polygraph record.
2. Guilt Complex Test- if a respond on the previous test is doubtful, it become essential to conduct
additional test. This consists of a test concerning fabrication incident of a similar nature but one which
appears to be real in so far as the subject concerned. The purpose of this test is to compare the
responses with those that emerge on the actual test record when question were asked about the issue
under investigation
• The guilt complex question acts as a defense against mistaking the re question responses of guilt
complex reactor for deception responses that is, it acts specialized control question. An example of
this question is, “Did you steal the from the house at Bonifacio?” While it is true that the money was
stolen but is from the house at Bonifació rather the money was stolen from the house at Masgaysay.
3. Peak of Tension Test
• The test is applicable only in cases where subject has not been informed
investigator or by person or other sources like print medial of all the vital
facts offense in question.
• The investigator prepares seven (7) questions and one of them has a s bearing
on the case under investigation. The specific question must refer to specific
facts on the event that the subject doesn’t know.
• Example: 10- Introductory Phrase plus padding question – Did you know where the stolen watch
of Peter is a Timex?
• 2Q-Padding – Is it a Guess?
• 3Q-Padding-Is it a Gucci?
• 4Q-Relevant Question – Is it a Rolex?
• 5Q-Padding – Is it a Citizen?
• 6Q-Padding-Is it a Seiko?
• 7Q-Padding-Is it an Omega?
• During the examination, the examiner raise questions that becomes verbal
stimulus, the messages are received by the ear and send to the brain. The
brain analyses the query, if the query is not a peril to the well being of the
subject. The thought central center rejects it and the body continuous to
function normally. However, when the question is imperative to the subject,
physiological chain reaction occurs within his body that is recorded by the
polygraph instrument and can be evaluated by the polygraph examiner.
• 1. Relevant Question These are direct questions having an extreme and specific
relationship to the crime or matter under investigation. And this is of two types namely:
• A. The Weak or Secondary Relevant Question these are questions concerned in several
secondary aspects of the crime or problem and often deal with guilty knowledge and
partial involvement.
• B. the Strong or Primary Relevant Question These questions are intended and created
to test for direct participation only and specifically designed to produce an emotional
response in guilty subject.
2. Irrelevant Question These are questions devised without definite relationship
with the case under investigation.
• 3. Evidence Connecting Question This is intended to arouse the guilty subject
and focus his attention to the probability of incriminating proof that would tend
to establish his guilt.
• 4. Knowledge Question This question is intended to discover whether the
subject possesses information regarding the identity of the offender, or as to the
location of the evidence or other secondary elements of the facts of the case
under investigation.
• 5 Sacrifice or DYAT Question – This is intended to obtain responses usually
produced by the introduction of the first relevant question in the sequence.
• 6. Control Question (Probable Lie) – This is a question intended to general response in an innocent
subject and provide the basis for assessing subject’s perceptual set. Control Question is classified
into two:
• A. Primary Control Question is based on known lie. It must concern about action that transpired
within three (3) to five (5) years time p to the occurrence of the case under investigation.
• B. Secondary Control Question – is more precise in nature and is based on another experience of
unlawful activity, which will improve chance for responsiveness. It covers up to the present period.
• 7. Symptomatic Question – These questions are intended to identify assess the occurrence of outside
issues that might restrain subject responses to the relevant question. Outside factors in a case, which
he concerned, but not the issue under investigation.
• 8. SKY Question – These are three groups of question place as one Backster and they are intended
to verity the previous charts and de indirect participation or guilty knowledge. The “S” stands for
“Suspect”, the stands for the “Knowledge”, and the “Y” stands for the “You”.
FORMULATION OF TEST QUESTIONS

• Questions are formulated from the information given by the investigator

declaration of witnesses or the subject himself, from records, interviews, and
from information like those delivered by the media. Test questions must relate
to paste of a factual in nature. Questions in the same examination must be
asked in a separate examination personal and disturbing questions have no
place in a properly conducted polygraph examination. There are general and
specific rules to be followed formulation of the test questions. The questions to
be formulated must:
1. Be simple and direct.

2. Not involve legal terminologies like murder, rape etc.. 3 Be answerable by YES or NO only.

4. Be clear and phrased in a language the subject can fully understand

• 5. Not be in the form of accusation.
• 6. Never contain an inference that presupposes subject.
• 7. Refer to one offense only.
• 8. Not contain influence to one’s religion, race or belief.
• Three Basic Approaches To The Polygraph Test1. The Control Question Test (COT)- this
test compares the physiological response to relevant questions about the crime with the
response to questions relating to possible prior misdeeds. This test is often used to determine
whether certain criminal suspects should be prosecuted or classified as uninvolved in the
crime.2. The Directed Lie Test (DLT) - this test tries to detect lying by comparing
physiological responses when the subject is told to deliberately lie to responses when they
tell the truth.3. The Guilty Knowledge Test (GKT) - this test compares physiological
responses to multiple choice type questions about the crime, one choice of which contains
information only the crime investigators and the criminal would know about O
THE END