Polygraph Countermeasures: Recognizing Control Questions
Anonymous
Recognizing Control Questions
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(This is the 3rd in a series of posts about polygraph countermeasures. See also
the previous posts):
Briefing One - http://www.nopolygraph.com/_disc1/000000b9.htm
Briefing Two - The FBI Pre-Employment Polygraph -
http://www.nopolygraph.com/_disc1/00000131.htm
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In 1995, the Department of Defense Polygraph Institute published a validation
study of it's new polygraph security screening format, the Test for Espionage
and Sabotage (TES). This laboratory study compared the validity of both
probable-lie and directed lie versions of the Counterintelligence Scope
Polygraph (CSP) test with the new TES. The report is entitled "Comparison of
Psychophysiological Detection of Deception Accuracy Rates Obtained Using
the Counterintelligence Scope Polygraph and the Test for Espionage and
Sabotage Question Formats" and is designated as report # ADA319333. In
1997, this report, minus appendices, was re-printed in the American Polygraph
Association quarterly, _Polygraph_. You can read the text online at:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/othergov/polygraph/tes.html
The full report, however, including appendices, is available from the US Dept.
of Commerce National Technical Information Service, and I have recently
obtained a copy.
Appendix J will be of interest to those facing a polygraph trial-by-ordeal. It
lists the acceptable probable-lie controls, directed-lie controls, and irrelevant
questions that were used in this study. These examples should help those using
countermeasures to protect themselves from a false positive outcome to
recognize the control questions.
Note that with directed-lie tests like the TES (used by DoD and DOE), the
control questions are quite easy to recognize: you will be instructed to answer
them falsely!
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Appendix J
Lists of Acceptable Questions
List of ten acceptable Probable Lie Control Questions
Did you ever reveal anything told to you in confidence?
Did you ever cheat in school?
Did you ever betray the trust of a friend or relative?
Did you ever steal anything from an employer?
Do you sometimes intentionally mislead or deceive your friends?
Are you a really honest person?
Are you absolutely trustworthy?
Do you think you are smarter than most people?
Are you an untrustworthy person?
Are you a dishonest person?
List of ten acceptable Directed Lie Control Questions
Did you ever take any government (company) supplies for your personal use?
Did you ever violate a traffic (fishing, hunting, boating) law?
Did you ever say something derogatory about another person behind their
back?
Did you ever violate a software copyright law?
Did you ever say something that you later regretted?
Did you ever lie to a previous supervisor about anything?
Did you ever borrow anything and forget to return it?
Did you ever lie to a co-worker about anything at all?
Did you ever say anything in anger that you later regretted?
Did you ever brag about yourself to impress others?
"Did you ever" may be substituted with "Have you ever" for either the probable
lie or directed lie control questions.
List of acceptable Irrelevant Questions
Are you now in Alabama? [the study was conducted at Ft. McClellan, AL]
Is today ________?
Do you sometimes drink water?
Are you now on Ft McClellan?
Are you sometimes called _______?
Last changed: May 25, 2000