Background Investigation Polygraph Examinations
By
Deputy Robert Cooley
Frederick County Virginia
January 31, 2006
For quite some time now I have been reading many questions about the background investigation polygraph conducted by the majority of police agencies throughout the United States. The folks asking the questions seem to be paranoid, nervous, depressed, intimidated or a combination boiling down to raw fear. The polygraph is simply a tool used by government, law enforcement and private industry as another building block in a quest to find the suitable candidate(s) for the position(s) applied.
In this article I hope to shed some light on the polygraph and its uses to help the reader understand the procedure and thereby alleviate some of the apprehension felt by many who are about to undergo the examination as part of the application process.
History- The Lie Detector/Polygraph - John Larson
John Larson, a University of California medical student, invented the modern lie detector (polygraph) in 1921. Used in police interrogation and investigation since 1924, the lie detector is still controversial among psychologists, and is not always judicially acceptable. The name polygraph comes from the fact that the machine records several different body responses simultaneously as the individual is questioned.
The theory is that when a person lies, the lying causes a certain amount of stress that produces changes in several involuntary physiological reactions. A series of different sensors are attached to the body, and as the polygraph measures changes in breathing, blood pressure, pulse and perspiration, pens record the data on graph paper. During a lie detector test, the operator asks a series of control questions that set the pattern of how an individual responds when giving true and false answers. Then the actual questions are asked, mixed in with filler questions. The examination lasts about 2 hours, after which the expert interprets the data.
James Mackenzie invented an earlier and less successful lie detector or polygraph machine in 1902.
http://inventors.about.com/library/i...blforensic.htm
Since most of my career has been spent as a law enforcement officer for the Commonwealth of Virginia what I am about to relate applies to Virginia and my own agency. I personally have taken and passed five polygraph examinations and I can say each one became easier because I now understood the workings of the polygraph machine and it’s operator.
The agency I work for has four highly trained and licensed polygraph examiners. Currently in Virginia training takes approximately ten weeks of intensive study and grueling written and practical tests at the end of the course session and a six-month period of apprenticeship before a candidate may apply for licensing. I will not try to expand into the realm of the polygraph instructor, as I have never had formal training in this very specialized field of police work.
Despite what you might think the polygraph machine and its associated hardware is painless and it will not jolt the examinee with electricity if they give a wrong answer. Nor will an alarm sound or a big red light begin flashing, this is a myth created by the movies, television and popular fiction.
Two straps to measure breathing are placed around the chest and abdomen for respiration, a blood pressure cuff is wrapped around the left arm for pressure and pulse rate and metal spoon shaped sensors are placed on the index and second fingers for electrical conductivity. Our polygraph machine has a new item added to it that I had never seen before and I’ll call it a “whoopee cushion.” I was told if you clench your “cheeks” together it adds an additional trace to the chart! Never thought of “pucker factor” being used for a polygraph, but it does make sense. The readings are then transmitted to a moving chart, computer screen or a combination of both; depending on what the machine capabilities are; the responses are recorded by “pens,” a printer specially designed for the polygraph, or in the case of our machine right to the screen display of the computer along with the chart. The days of the “dancing pens” are slipping away into antiquity. The examiner will usually give the same test two to three times with breaks in between. This gives the examiner two to three different examinations to look at and base their conclusions as to the results. Some examiners may tell you right up front whether you passed or failed, others will go into even greater detail about the test explaining what they have seen in your responses while others will keep the results to themselves and say goodbye by telling you “you will be notified of the results.” I was lucky, after taking each examination I was told right then and there what the results and the examiners conclusions were, but your experience may vary.
People asking about the polygraph naturally want to know what questions will be posed to them before and during the test. While I am not going to reveal the test questions or even how many are used in the test I will say that these questions were developed long ago by the Virginia State Police and approved for use by the Attorney General for the Commonwealth. The questions posed are always the same and are used in fairness to each and every applicant so no one person will be asked one set and another something totally different. Now so as to not confuse this with a criminal investigation polygraph, questions posed during a criminal investigation are not the same simply because of the different circumstances. Each crime is unique in its own right and a polygraph examiner will “tailor” his or her questions to fit the facts of the crime being investigated. I will say the background polygraph test will have questions about a persons integrity, drug use, criminal history and there will be simple questions used to form a baseline for the operator to have a “feel” for the applicants responses to mental stimuli.
As most of you reading this already know, most judges in this country do not allow results of a polygraph to enter into the facts of a criminal prosecution simply because polygraph examinations are not 100% reliable (more on this below). So I asked two of our examiners how accurate the polygraph is when conducting a
background check and the statistics are an average of 98%. However, many still argue both for and against the accuracy or inaccuracy of the polygraph. Each human being is unique and so are the polygraph examiners as well as the machines used for the testing. Mistakes can be made, and one person’s physical responses are different from another’s so to rely totally on the results of a polygraph is simply folly. This doesn’t mean that you will automatically be terminated from consideration, but many agencies do rely heavily on the results of the test and termination from consideration could be the result. Again I must emphasize the polygraph is a tool and is treated as such by law enforcement. Many of you reading this will say, “but I took a polygraph and it said I was lying when I really wasn’t.” Does this demonstrate a machine malfunction or an error on the part of the examiner, it could, but remember these men and women who are certified polygraph operators are highly trained and must work with a seasoned examiner present for six months before they may become licensed. (Again, I can only speak of the requirements here in Virginia. Other states may have other rules, guidelines and requirements.)
As far as the courts are concerned it is up to the trial judge, and the attorneys for both sides whether or not to admit the results of a polygraph examination into court proceedings. In other words if both sides agree to admit the results of a polygraph and the trial judge agrees that the examiner has shown through testimony and through documentation that he or she has been trained by an accredited polygraph school, is licensed and has shown during his/her experience to be a competent polygraph examiner then the results of the polygraph may be introduced as evidence into a trial.
How does a person prepare for a polygraph examination? Good question, simply put you need to relax and place your mind and body at ease. I know this is easier said than done, but it is important for you to be as “normal” as possible when taking the examination. The polygraph examiner will not ask surprise questions he or she came up with at the last minute. Each person taking a polygraph will receive a pretest given by the examiner and the test questions you answer on the pretest are the very same questions that will be asked and answered during the polygraph. Again this is in fairness to the examinee and do not vary from person to person.
I’ve mentioned before in other articles I have written for this website if you’re sick, taking medication or have a condition that could drastically alter your bodies responses to such tests as a polygraph, you need to let someone in the agency know the circumstances. Even simple over the counter medications can cause adverse reactions; take cough syrup for example. Have you ever read the alcohol content on a bottle of cough syrup? Drink a bottle of cough syrup of some brands and you’ll get a better buzz than a couple of beers! Over the counter medications for cold, sinus and allergy just to name a few can and do effect peoples responses both mentally and physically. Don’t drink alcoholic beverages, that’s a given. The agency representative and the polygraph examiner need to know if you’re taking anything, which could have an effect on the outcome of the test. Don’t screw it up for yourself by covering up the fact you don’t feel well and have taken something for it.
Good luck to all of you who are in “the process,” and I wish you success.
Bob Cooley
(Disclaimer-The article I have written does not represent any agency in particular including my own. I have sought out information through my agency polygraph examiners, the Internet, Virginia State Code, The United States Code and my own observations in writing this article for
Real Police. The responsibility of what I have written is only intended as a guide and to help enlighten those of you interested in a career in law enforcement of a glimpse into how a polygraph works and why law enforcement agencies use it. The Owner, Webmaster and Moderators of
Real Police did not ask me to write this article and have in no way compensated me. I absolve them of any responsibility as to the content. I do ask that if you find my article interesting and wish to reproduce it in any form that you obtain permission from me first by writing to me at my email address of
vadeputy113@yahoo.com).
Background Investigation Polygraph Exams
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