LIE DETECTION TECHNIQUES

PHASES OF POLYGRAPH EXAMINATION

Phase - 01 Phase - 02

Phase - 03 Phase - 04
 PRELIMINARY
PREPARATIONS
 PRELIMINARY
PREPARATIONS
- Initial Interview with the investigator handling the
case or person requesting it. The group involve in this
stage are the Victim / Complaint, Suspects, Witnesses.
This stage includes obtaining and evaluation of facts,
determining the areas the subjects needs to be asked
and the investigator must furnish the examiner of the
following:
A. Sworn statement of the suspect / witnesses/ victim/ complainant,
Incident or spot report, B.I. of the suspect, witnesses, and victim /
complainants, rough sketch or pictures of the crime scene and other
facts such as Specific article and exact amount of money stolen.

B. Peculiar aspect of the offense or any strange set.

C. Exact time the offense was committed.

D. Known facts about the suspect's action or movement.

F. Exact type of weapon, tool or firearms used.

G. Result of laboratory test.

H. Unpublished facts of the offense known only by the victim,

suspects and the investigator.
PRE-TEST INTERVIEW
with the subject
PRE-TEST INTERVIEW with the subject
- The primary purpose of the pre- test interview is to prepare or condition the subject
for the test.

A. The appraisal of subject's constitutional right.

B. Obtain subject's consent to undergo polygraph test by signing a statement of

consent.

C. The taking of personal data of the subject.

D. Determining his/her suitability as a subject.

E. Evaluating the psychological preparation of the subject.

F. Informing the subject of his involvement with the case.

The following rights of the subject must be informed clearly to him/her:
A. The right to remain silent
B. Anything he/she say may be used in favor or against him/her
C. The right to have a lawyer of his/her own choice
Right to refuse
As earlier noted, subjects will not be scheduled for examination when
they:
A. are obviously fatigued or in ill health.
B. are physically injured or in pain.
C. their judgment is obviously influenced by or impaired by drugs or
alcohol.
have just suffered emotional trauma.
The examiner's interview with the subject prior to the test is of
considerable importance, both for the purpose of conditioning the
subject for the examination and also in order to provoke and observe
the helpful indications of guilt and innocence which are often
forthcoming at this time.
• The following is the detailed outline of the pre-test interview which has
been found to be effective. (We are assuming in the case illustrated
that the subject has already been advised of the fact that he is to be
given a lie-detector test.)
A. As the examiner enters the waiting room to request the subject to
accompany him into the examination room, the greeting which the
examiner extends should be cordial, but firm.
B. Upon entering the examination room the subject should be requested
to sit down in a chair alongside the instrument, and immediately
thereafter the examiner should proceed to the taking of the consent of
the subject.
C. Then fill up the necessary data asked in the interrogation log.
D. Afterwards inquire from the subject whether he has been on a lie
detector test before. No further comment should be made by the
examiner but he should listen carefully to whatever the subject himself
may say.
E. If the subject has not told of the purpose of his appearance in the
testing laboratories, the examiner should explain that a lie detector
test is desired of him as part of the investigation regarding the case.
Much time should be spent in the preliminary interview as the
circumstances reasonably warrants.
given to the subject.

THE EXAMINATION
/INSTRUMENTAL TEST
THE EXAMINATION/INSTRUMENTAL
TEST
● The conduct of Instrumentation and Actual Test.

● After the pre-test interview, the examiner should proceed to place the
attachment on the subject. The first to be attached is Pneumograph,
then the Cardiosphymograph and the Galvanograph. Review all the
questions with the subject before the actual examination is made. The
examiner should discourage any comments or statement by the
subjects. Test instrument must be given to the subject.
A. Upon completion of the necessary preliminary preparation the
instruments is attached to the subject.

B. The blood pressure pulse cuff is wrapped around snugly

around the subject's upper arm and the pneumograph tube
adjusted around the chest.

C. If female subjects or around the body, if male subjects or

around the torso of male subjects.
D. The cuff is then inflated to a point approximate midway
between the systolic and diastolic blood pressure. That is
midway between the pressure produced by the output action
of the heart and that maintained at the time of the hearts
intake action.

E. The synchronous motor carrying the paper upon which blood

pressure pulse respirations recording are made is then set in
motion, the motor being so timid that the paper moves along
at the rate of a out six inches per minute, then ten to fifteen
seconds after the instrument has been set in motion, the inked
filled pens of the instruments are permitted to make their
blood pressure pulse respiration tracings before the question
are asked of the subject.
F. During the test period the subject is informed that he will be
asked several questions which should be answered by either
yes or no answers, and that they are so brief and to the point.

G. Approximately five to ten seconds after this instruction first

question is asked and then the other questions follows after or
at the interval of fifteen or twenty seconds.
G. Approximately five to ten seconds after this instruction first question is asked and
then the other questions follows after or at the interval of fifteen or twenty
seconds.

Take Note: The questions may be written in advance of the test or in the course of the
test during the intervals between the asking of each question. The phraseology of the
test question is an extremely important aspect of the examination. The questions, and
every word used in the questions must be unambiguous, unequivocal, and thoroughly
understandable by the subject. The questions must be states as simply as possible,
and with a complete avoidance of such double inquires as "Did you shoot him and
then run into the house"? All questions must have only a single, unambiguous
meaning. Avoid lengthy questions and avoid legal terms such as rape, murder,
embezzlement, etc.
POST-TEST INTERVIEW
/ INTERROGATION
 POST-TEST INTERVIEW/
INTERROGATION
• This includes all consideration that bears on the examination.
This is done just after the instrument is turned off. If the
Polygraph test result indicates deception, the examiner will
then proceed to conduct short interrogation. The purpose of
which is to obtain confession. However, if the Polygraph
indicates that the subject is innocent; the examiner will just
release the subject cordially and thanks him/her for his/her
cooperation.
The purposes of further questioning after the test are:
A. to clarify the findings;
B. to learn if there are any other reasons for the subject's
responding to a relevant question, other than the knowledge
of the crime; and
C. to obtain additional information and an admission for law
enforcement purposes, if the results suggest deception.
COMPONENTS OF POLYGRAPH
LEGAL STATUS OF POLYGRAPH

When does the Polygraph result is Admissible in Court?

1) When the examination is conducted upon a court order.

2) When business suffers economic loss and the employee of that

business who refuses the exam is implicated.

3) When the polygraph is made a condition or precedent to

employment in continuous employment.

4) When the nature of the subject's relation to the public so demand.

(Public Trust is paramount).
The Collateral Aspect of Polygraph

1) Pre-employment Screening - it provide a safe method in verifying

statements of a job applicant, prevent false evaluation and false judgment as
reported by previous employer who carry a personal grudge against him
Done when the subject is applying for a job.

2) Periodic Screening - conducted to organic employees only, act as constant

deterrent to employee's dishonesty and create a bond of mutual strength
among employees. We call it as personnel check.

3) Intelligence Testing - provide a scientific method of testing the intelligence

of a person.
The Advantages of Pre-Employment Screening for
Employee

1) Prevent false evaluation and unfair judgment due to

personality conflicts reported by a previous supervisor or
employer.

2) It does away with lengthy waiting while employment

application is being check, telephone, telegram or letter.

3) Eliminate the potential hazard of a person knowing to work

along side with other who might endanger their live or job
security.
4) It create a desire for incentives

5) Provides a safe method for a person to be cleared of

unwarranted suspicion and unjust accusation and malicious
gossip.

6) It will create a bond of mutual strength between employees.

 The Advantages of the Pre-Employment Screening
for Employer

1) Provides an accurate method, whereby the employment background of

an applicant and relevant issues collateral thereto can be immediately
checked and verify at a negligible cost.

2) Detect the chronic alcoholic job jumper and accident prone person.

y 3) Reveals some of the unusual aspect concerning the psychologically

mal-adjusted agitator amateur and professional theft in private
industry.
4. Reduces costly personnel turnover by helping management put the
right person on the job and ascertaining an applicant attitude
toward job permanent.

5. Acts as constant deterrent to employee dishonesty and permit

basically honest employee to work in greater harmony with basically
honest employee.
Tripod Foundations of Polygraph Technique

1. The Mechanical Leg Basic Premise - The polygraph machine is

mechanically capable of making graphical records containing reliable
information regarding physiological changes

2. The Physiological Leg Basic Premise - Among the physiological changes

that may be recorded and identified are those that automatically occur only
following the stimulation of specific nervous system component and from which
stimulation of those specific nervous system components can be reliably
diagnosed.
3) Psychological Leg Basic Premise - Under the polygraph leg premise, the
specific nervous system component whose stimulation can thus be diagnosed
are so stimulated by the involuntary mental and emotional processes of the
individual who is consciously attempting concealment of deception specially if
that individual has something at stake and the prevailing circumstances lead
him to believe that exposure to detection is quite possible though undesirable
(Panganiban and Calang, 2011 p. 26).
 Theory of Polygraph Examination
• When a mentally normal person tells a lie, physiological changes
occur within his body that could be recorded by the instrument and
evaluated by the examiner (Panganiban and Calang, 2011 p. 27).

Cardinal Rule of the Polygraph Examiner

• "Always OBJECTIVITY over SUBJECTIVITY" (Panganiban and
Calang, 2011 p. 27).
,
Ultimate Objective of Polygraph Examination
• The ultimate objective of Polygraph Examination is to obtain the
Subject's "ADMISSION or CONFESSION" of the offense committed
(Panganiban and Calang, 2011 p. 27).
The Validity and Reliability of the Polygraph

This has been the unending question among many of us. However, practitioners
have agreed that the accuracy of the polygraph results ranges from 85% to
100% depending upon the factors that affect it (Hipolito, Manwong and
Sarmiento,2010 p. 140)

Use of the polygraph or any other scientific tool or technique in a forensic

setting, wherein the right of the individuals are involved, should be based on the
demonstrated validity and reliability of the technique. With respect to polygraph,
the question is whether the polygraph examiner is consistently able to detect
deception.
There are obvious problems in trying to conduct research to determine the
validity and reliability of the polygraph. First, it is very difficult to simulate the
psycho physiological reactions of a criminal suspect in a laboratory study or
mock crime situation. The same elements of fear and motivation that would be
acting on suspects in an actual crime are just not present. Second, it is difficult
to determine validity and reliability by studying polygraph results in actual
criminal cases the complete truth regarding the crime and its perpetrators is
generally unavailable and conclusions reached by polygraph examiners are
normally not subject to full confirmation. There have been a number of studies
that give noteworthy recognition to the validity and reliability of the polygraph.
One study published in 1978, which used polygraph examinations under
laboratory conditions as well as on criminal suspects, concluded an accuracy
rate in excess of 90 percent accurate with an almost matching reliability rate.
It is generally believed that laboratory testing used in polygraph research
tends to affect adversely the otherwise higher validity and reliability rates.
Under laboratory conditions, it is difficult to simulate the stress that occurs
under actual conditions (Manalo, 1992 pp. 31-32)
 FOUR MAJOR COMPONENTS OF THE
POLYGRAPH

d A. Pneumograph - this occupy the two/upper pens of the instrument

which records the thoraric and abdominal breathing patterns of
respiration. This is accomplished through the use of a pneumograph
consisting of two hollow corrugated tubes about seven inches in
length, each attached to a unit by a rubber hose not longer than six
feet and not larger than one quarter inch in diameter. This breathing
or pneumo unit is a low pressure unit. The inhalation/exhalation of the
subject causes the tubes to expand and contract, thereby reflecting
the change through billows to the pen into the chart (Manalo, 1992 p.
17).
B. Galvanometer - this is the longest and the third pen of the
instrument. The electrodes are attached to the index finger and
the ring finger of the left hand, or to the palmar and dorsal
surfaces of the left hand. The electrodes used for obtaining the
recording of the GSR or electro-dermal responses, are fastened
to the hand or finger by means of the passage of an
imperceptible amount of electrical current through the hand or
finger bearing the attached electrodes, a galvanometer unit
provides recording of the variation in the flow of the electrical
current (Manalo, 1992 p. 17-18).
 C. Cardiosphymograph - this is the fourth and the bottom pen of
the instrument. This cardio unit is a mechanically operated unit. It
is a high pressure system. This system records changes in mean
blood pressure, rate and strength of pulse beat by means of a
medical blood pressure cuff containing a rubber bladder that is
e wrapped around the upper arm, in a manner that places the
bladder against the brachial artery. The bladder is connected to the
rubber hose, past a pressure indicating gauge to a very sensitive
billows and its connected lever system that powers the pen. The
polygraphist inflates the bladder with a hand pump to a constant
air pressure that will provide tracing amplitude of 0.75 to 1 inch
with a dichotic notch situated about the middle of the diastolic limb
of the tracing (Manalo, 1992 pp. 18-19).
 C

er D. Kymograph - This is the chart recording unit of the instrument.

It has a synchronized motor that drives the charts at the rate of
six inches per minute and its speed constant is vital because the
vertical lines, which are spaced either at one-half or one inch
interval, represents five or ten seconds interval on the chart.
This provides the polygraphist with a means of determining
pulse rater and question spacing (Manalo, 1992 p. 19).
Electrodes and Controls

1. RESONANCE CONTROL - It allows you to clear up or make a better

pattern when you have too much pulse pressure of the subject.
2. HAND ELECTRODE - This is fastened to the hand by a stretched
band. Function is to make electrical contact with the subject.
3. PANEL CONTROL - to allow the operator to control or adjust the
operation of the galvanograph.
 There are other five important controls:

1. Off and on power switch - on switch is to energize the

galvanograph section.
2. Subject's resistance control - is to balance the galvo section to
the skin resistance of the subject
m
3. Reactivity control - to adjust sensitivity of the galvo section.
4. Self-centered normal switch - is to select either mode of
operation.
5. Self-centering mode - is when the circuit electronically centers
the pen itself after every excursion.
CONTROLS OF THE CARDIO-
SPHYGMOGRAPH SECTION

1. Manual centering knob - used to place cardio in its proper place

on the chart.
2. Vent Valve - is used to left atmospheric pressure into the system
and used to release pressure all or parts of the pressure.
3. Resonance control - is used to decrease the amplitude of the
cardio tracing and used to sharpen the diacrotic notch.
Thank you!