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The truth about polygraphs

CFLarsen

Penultimate Amazing
C
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The truth about polygraphs

A National Academy of Sciences study validates long-held doubts about the reliability of polygraphs. So why does the government still rely on them to screen applicants for jobs?
Click to expand...

Boston Globe
 
So why does the government still rely on them to screen applicants for jobs?
Click to expand...
They are a quick "kinda checkup", I guess...

Its been known for a long time that polygraphs can be unreliable. Factors such as stress (really, when taking a polygraph), trauma, or outright fooling the machine can affect and skew the results.

I dont think those things are admissible as court evidence anymore, are they?
 
Has a polygraph ever been admissable evidence in a court case?

Could we test whether polygraph operators believe in their own product? I suppose we could give them a polygraph...
 
I think polygraphs are mainly used as a tool of intimidation. If the person thinks they work...

glee, what happened to our chess match? I had a vacation and upon returning could not find it. On the vacatin I got to practice quite a few variations on the English Opening. My opponents did not handle the unorthodox opening well.

Lurker
 
I think some polygraphers use the deception of the subject believing they can detect lies to influence them to tell the truth, but I fear that many polygraphers probably think they can actually get meaningful results. It's pretty sad that our government uses polygraph and college class rank to decide who to entrust our national security to.
 
Yahweh said:
Its been known for a long time that polygraphs can be unreliable. Factors such as stress (really, when taking a polygraph), trauma, or outright fooling the machine can affect and skew the results.
Click to expand...
But on the Fox TV series Anything For Love, they said the polygraph was 97% accurate!

They wouldn't think of breaking up relationships by subjecting people to a "lie detector" and asking if they've slept around, if they knew the lie detector was unreliable, would they? :rolleyes:
 
The government relies on the 4-channel (Heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate/depth and galvanic skin response) polygraph because it represents an excellent means of intimidation, better than any person could do just sitting there and saying "you're lying." Therefore there is no reason to stop using this tool and with its bells and whistles makes a more effective interogation tool than abusive cop and spotlight.

However there are ongoing studies involving polygraph devices using many more channels of phsyiological data and techniques suited to them including the EEG. One such researcher has privately capitalized on a technique he amusingly calls "Brain Fingerprinting" or something like that. He theorizes that one of the major items a perp of say a murder takes with him is their memory of the event. Say a murder occurred in a particular room or house. The killer would carry away a memory of that. if nothing else in the way of physical evidence. This researcher believes by wiring up the suspect and showing him, say a succession of pictures of rooms including the crime scene room. The crime scene room or house or street would cause him to register an emotional response. Its self controlling since photos of other rooms, houses or streets would not trigger such a response.

None of these devices are admissible in court IMHO and they really should not be used to convict or exonerate someone of a capital offense. They are mind tools. Only physical evidence or corroborated eyewitness testimony or a legal, voluntary confession (with facts known only to the police and murdererto back it up) should be able to do that.
 
SteveGrenard said:
The government relies on the 4-channel (Heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate/depth and galvanic skin response) because they represent an excellent means of intimidation, better than any person could just sitting there and saying "you're lying." Therefore there is no reason to stop using this tool and with its bells and whistles makes a more effective interogation tool than a busive cop and spotlight.

However there are ongoing studies involving polygraph devices using many more channels of phsyiological data and techniques suited to them including the EEG. One such researcher has privately capitalized on a technique he amusingly calls "Brain Fingerprinting" or something like that. He theorizes that one of the major items a perp of say a murder takes with him is their memory of the event. Say a murder occurred in a particular room or house. The killer would carry away a memory of that. if nothing else in the way of physical evidence. This researcher believes by wiring up the suspect and showing him, say a succession of pictures of rooms including the crime scene room. The crime scene room or house or street would cause him to register an emotional response. Its self controlling since photos of other rooms, houses or streets would not trigger such a response.

None of these devices are admissible in court and they really should not be used to convict or exonerate someone of a capital offense. They are mind tools. Only physical evidence or corroborated eyewitness testimomny or a legal, voluntary confession (with facts known only to the police and murderer) should be able to do that.
Click to expand...

Steve,

Please post the "ongoing studies" you refer to - or, at least, the references.

Please post the name and contact info of the researcher you mention.

Please post the scientific evidence of the procedure you describe.
 
Sure Claus. Try some of these to start, Lawrence Farwell is the researcher I was referring to. His contact info and full text of his research papers are on his site-first below. Most of the polygraph research in the U.S., and perhaps elsewhere today is grant funded by the DODPI (Department of Defense Polygraph Institute).

Brain Fingerprinting - Home
... Lawrence A. Farwell, PhD Chairman and Chief Scientist. "Brain Fingerprinting
Technology Gets Big Break". ... Brain Fingerprinting Ruled Admissible in Court. ...
Description: Technology for crime investigation using to detect P300 brain wave responses to familiar sights by...
Category: Science > Social Sciences > ... > Brain Fingerprinting
www.brainwavescience.com/ - 16k - Cached - Similar pages

Skeptic News | Brain Fingerprinting
... Brain Fingerprinting, posted by Wally Hartshorn on Thursday December
07, @06:50PM from the truth-or-dare dept. Pseudoscience artointc ...
Description: Comments on "'Brain Fingerprints' as Defense?" article and 60 Minutes coverage on 21 December 2000.
Category: Science > Social Sciences > ... > Brain Fingerprinting
www.skepticnews.com/articles/00/12/07/2354201.shtml - 26k - Cached - Similar pages

Forensic-Evidence: Brain Fingerprinting? Is It A Reliable Tool?
... value the truth. His "brain fingerprinting" helps to eliminate this
kind of fear and oppression, he suggests. Also, one cannot "drag ...
Description: Reaction to brief summary of the technology by Lawrence Farwell.
Category: Science > Social Sciences > ... > Brain Fingerprinting
www.forensic-evidence.com/site/ Behv_Evid/BeE00005_1.html - 6k - Cached - Similar pages

Forensic-Evidence.com/Behavioral Evidence:Brain Fingerprinting ...
We have discussed elsewhere the proposed evidential use of brain fingerprinting,
and as specifically applied to the Terry Harrington case. ...
Description: Evidence is admitted, but fails to convince.
Category: Science > Social Sciences > ... > Brain Fingerprinting
www.forensic-evidence.com/site/ Behv_Evid/brainfp_Iowa.html - 7k - Cached - Similar pages
[ More results from www.forensic-evidence.com ]

Neur-Sci Archives: Brain Fingerprinting: Science or Quackery?
Description: Archived mailing-list thread discussing the validity or invalidity of "brain fingerprinting".
Category: Science > Social Sciences > ... > Brain Fingerprinting
www.bio.net/hypermail/NEUROSCIENCE/ neur-sci.200012/0052.html - Similar pages

Mental Surveillance, Brain Fingerprinting, Thought Control. Mind ...
Brain Fingerprinting (What is brain fingerprinting?). "Brain Fingerprinting,"
a computer ... What is Brain Fingerprinting? According to its developer ...
www.cognitiveliberty.org/issues/ mental_surveillance.htm - 42k - Cached - Similar pages

Story: Brain fingerprinting: What you thought, what I meant - ...
Brain fingerprinting: What you thought, what I meant. ... Does this change your opinion
on brain fingerprinting (Threat Recognition Testing)? TalkBack to me. ...
www.zdnet.com/anchordesk/stories/ story/0,10738,2816429,00.html - 65k - Cached - Similar pages

brain fingerprinting
... It also makes for a nice way to sell another new technology -- 'Brain Fingerprinting.'
In case you haven't heard, Brain Fingerprinting is a way to actually ...
Description: Editorial suggesting that "brain fingerprinting" technology would be used to the detriment of the...
Category: Science > Social Sciences > ... > Brain Fingerprinting
davesweb.cnchost.com/brainfingerprinting.htm - 18k - Cached - Similar pages

Open Directory - Science: Social Sciences: Psychology: Forensics ...
... Case of John Doe: Brain Fingerprinting - E-mail exchange with Larry Farwell about
use of "brain fingerprinting" in cases of false accusations of rape. ...
dmoz.org/Science/Social_Sciences/Psychology/ Forensics_and_Law/Brain_Fingerprinting/ - 11k - Cached - Similar pages

brain fingerprinting - a searchSecurity definition
whatis.com: searchSecurity.com Definitions - brain fingerprinting, ... Search
whatis.com for: - OR - Search this site: brain fingerprinting, ...
searchsecurity.techtarget.com/sDefinition/ 0,,sid14_gci779704,00.html - 28k - Cached - Similar pages
 
To back up my statement that there is a great deal of other research ocurring on polygraphy including expanded polygraph techniques beyond the antiquated 4-channel device which is subject to false positives, false negatives as well as countermeasures, you can visit the bibliographic/library holdings of the DODPI library as well as the DODPI homepage given in the following links. If this is a subject that interests you, (and I assume it is cause you started this thread Claus) you will be happy to learn that the U.S. Department of Defense enables you to download full text of all the studies in their polygraph library.



DoD Polygraph Institute
On behalf of the faculty and staff, I want to welcome you to the Department
of Defense Polygraph Institute (DoDPI) web site. I encourage ...
Description: US Department of Defense institute in Fort Jackson, South Carolina which does polygraph research and...
Category: Science > Social Sciences > ... > Forensics and Law > Polygraphy
www.dodpi.army.mil/ - 11k - Cached - Similar pages

DoDPI Mission
Mission. The DoDPI is a federally funded institution providing graduate and continuing
education courses in forensic psychophysiology. Its mission is to: ...
www.dodpi.army.mil/mission.htm - 14k - Cached - Similar pages
[ More results from www.dodpi.army.mil ]

Polygraph Screening Holdings of the DoDPI Library
Polygraph Screening Holdings of the DoDPI Library. ... Ansley, Norman. Accuracy
and utility of RI screening by student examiners at DoDPI. ...
www.nopolygraph.com/screening.htm - 101k - Cached - Similar pages

Polygraph History Holdings of the DoDPI Library
Polygraph History Holdings of the DoDPI Library. ...
www.nopolygraph.com/history.htm - 101k - Cached - Similar pages
[ More results from www.nopolygraph.com ]

DoDPI Polygraph Handbook
 
Current Polygraph Abstracts

Its been a few years since I perused this site and I see they took their online resource offline so I apologize for tempting you with that above. However they do have current research abstracts on line and full text available thru the DTIC. It takes the DOD awhile to declassify and publish all the studies in the pipeline and some, of course, have not be declassified. The following compendium includes studies from the 90s onward which were declassified and published in 2002.




Current Abstracts

Following is a list of the abstracts of research projects produced by the Research Division. If there are any questions concerning the abstracts or the Research Division, please contact the Division Chief. Copies of these reports are available from DTIC, the Defense Technical Information Center via the Internet or telephone (Commercial (703)767-8274; DSN 427-8274). See www.dtic.mil/dtic/regprocess.html for ordering and registration information. The DTIC document numbers, which DTIC uses to reference orders, have been included below for your convenience.



Amato-Henderson, S. L. (1996). Effects of misinformation on the concealed knowledge test (DoDPI97-R-0001). Fort McClellan, AL: Department of Defense Polygraph Institute. DTIC# ADA321367
Angus, J., & Castelaz, P. (1993). Artificial neural network analysis of polygraph signals (Final Report) (DoDPI93-R- 0010). Fort McClellan, AL: Department of Defense Polygraph Institute. DTIC# ADA305751
Baker, L., Goldstein, R., & Stern, J. A. (1992). Saccadic eye movements in deception (DoDPI92-R-0003). Fort McClellan, AL: Department of Defense Polygraph Institute. DTIC# ADA304658
Blackwell, N. J. (1994). An evaluation of the effectiveness of the polygraph automated scoring system (PASS) in detecting deception in a mock crime analog study (DoDPI94-R-0003). Fort McClellan: Department of Defense Polygraph Institute. DTIC# ADA305755
Blackwell, N. J. (1996). Polyscore: A comparison of accuracy. (DoDPI95-R-0001). Fort McClellan, AL: Department of Defense Polygraph Institute. DTIC# ADA313620
Bradley, M. T., Cullen, M. C., & Carle S. B. (1993). Control question tests by police and laboratory polygraph operators on a mock crime and real events (DoDPI93-R-0012). Fort McClellan: Department of Defense Polygraph Institute. DTIC# ADA304407
Carlton, B., & Smith, B.J. (1991). The effects of aural versus visual presentations of questions during a detection of deception task (DoDPI91-R-0002). Fort McClellan, AL: Department of Defense Polygraph Institute. DTIC# ADA304657
Cestaro, V. L. (1993). Implications of subliminal classical conditioning for defeating the use of countermeasures in the detection of deception: Subliminal evaluation of classically conditioned stimuli (DoDPI93-R-0005). Fort McClellan, AL: Department of Defense Polygraph Institute. DTIC# ADA279806
Cestaro, V. L., & Dollins, A. B. (1994). An analysis of voice responses for the detection of deception (DoDPI94-R- 0001). Fort McClellan, AL: Department of Defense Polygraph Institute. DTIC# ADA298417
Cestaro, V. L., & Dollins, A. B. (1994). A comparison of signals from two occlusive cuff cardiovascular sensors used for the psychophysiological detection of deception (DoDPI94- R-0002). Fort McClellan, AL: Department of Defense Polygraph Institute. DTIC# ADA298599
Cestaro, V. L. (1995). A comparison between decision accuracy rates obtained using the polygraph instrument and the computer voice stress analyzer (CVSA) in the absence of jeopardy (DoDPI95-R-0002). Fort McClellan, AL: Department of Defense Polygraph Institute. DTIC# ADA300334
Cestaro, V. L. (1996). A comparison of accuracy rates between the polygraph and the computer voice stress analyzer in a mock crime scenario (DoDPI95-R-0004). Fort McClellan, AL: Department of Defense Polygraph Institute. DTIC# ADA318985
Crewson, P.E. (2000). A Comparative Analysis of Polygraph with other Screening and Diagnostic Tools June 2001 (DoDPI01-R-0003). Department of Defense Polygraph Institute, Fort Jackson, SC 29207-5000. DTIC No. ADA403870
Dohm, T. E., & Iacono, W. G. (1993). Design and pilot of a polygraph field validation study with appendices (DoDPI93-R- 0006). Fort McClellan, AL: Department of Defense Polygraph Institute. DTIC# ADA305747
Doll, R. E., Law, J. G., Jr., & Piotrowski, C. (1990). A literature review of cross-cultural factors affecting polygraph testing (DoDPI90-R-0004). Fort McClellan, AL: Department of Defense Polygraph Institute. DTIC# ADA304505
Dollins, A. B., Krapohl, D. J., & Dutton, D. W. (1999) A comparison of computer programs designed to evaluate psychophysiological detection of deception examinations: Bakeoff 1. , (DoDPI99-R-0001). Fort. Jackson, SC: Department of Defense Polygraph Institute. DTIC#, ADA379990
Dollins, A. B. (1995). A computation guide to power analysis of fixed effects in balanced analysis of variance designs (DoDPI95-R-0003). Fort McClellan, AL: Department of Defense Polygraph Institute. DTIC# ADA300769
Dollins, A. B., Cestaro, V. L., & Pettit, D. J. (1995). Efficacy of repeated psychophysiological detection of deception testing. (DoDPI94-R-0013). Fort McClellan, AL: Department of Defense Polygraph Institute. DTIC# ADA299024
Gaines, K. (1992).Utility and numerical evaluation of the guilty knowledge test (DoDPI92-R-0004). Fort McClellan, AL: Department of Defense Polygraph Institute. DTIC# ADA305807
Honts, C., Amato, S., & Gordon, A. (2000) Validity of Outside-Issue Questions in the Control Question Test. (DoDPI97-P-00012). Fort Jackson, SC: Department of Defense Polygraph. DTIC# ADA376666
Honts, C. R., & Devitt, M. K. (1992). Bootstrap decision making for polygraph examinations (DoDPI92-R-0002). Fort McClellan, AL: Department of Defense Polygraph Institute. DTIC# ADA304662
Honts, C. R., & Carlton, B. (1990). Effects of incentives on the psychophysiological detection of deception (DoDPI90- R-0003). Fort McClellan: Department of Defense Polygraph Institute. DTIC# ADA305810
Ingram, E. M. (1994). Effects of electrodermal lability and anxiety on the electrodermal detection of deception with a control question technique (DoDPI94-R-0004). Fort McClellan, AL: Department of Defense Polygraph Institute. DTIC# ADA317254
Ingram, E. M. (1995). Event-related potentials: The P300 and self-referent stimuli (DoDPI94-R-0006). Fort McClellan, AL: Department of Defense Polygraph Institute. DTIC# ADA317251
Ingram, E. M. (1996). Test of a mock theft scenario for use in the psychophysiological detection of deception: I (DoDPI96-R-0003). Fort McClellan, AL: Department of Defense Polygraph Institute. DTIC# ADA318988
Ingram, E. M. (1996).Test of a mock theft scenario for use in the psychophysiological detection of deception: II (DoDPI96-R-0002). Fort McClellan, AL: Department of Defense Polygraph Institute. DTIC# ADA325487
Ingram, E. M. (1996).Test of a mock theft scenario for use in the psychophysiological detection of deception: III (DoDPI97-R-0003). Fort McClellan, AL: Department of Defense Polygraph Institute. DTIC# ADA321138
Janniro, M. J. & Cestaro, V. L. (1996). Effectiveness of detection of deception examinations using the computer voice stress analyzer (DoDPI96-R-0005). Fort McClellan, AL: Department of Defense Polygraph Institute. DTIC# ADA318986
Katkin, Edward S. (1997). A comparison of the traditional polygraphic cardio measure with new techniques for continuous blood pressure assessment (DoDPI97-R-0005). Fort McClellan, AL: Department of Defense Polygraph Institute. DTIC # ADA330101
Kircher, J. C., Packard, T.; Bell, B. G.; and Bernhard T, P. C. (1997) Effects of Deception on Tonic Autonomic Arousal May 2001 (DoDPI01-R-0008). Department of Defense Polygraph Institute, Fort Jackson, SC 29207-5000. DTIC No. ADA396791
Kircher, J. C., Packard, T.; Bell, B. G.; and Bernhard T, P. C. (1997) Comparison of Skin Conductance and Skin Resistance Measures for the Detection of Deception October 2001, (DoDPI02-R-0001). Department of Defense Polygraph Institute, Fort Jackson, SC 29207-5000. DTIC No. ADA404127
Kircher, J. C., Packard, T.; Bell, B. G.; and Bernhard T, P. C. (1997) Effects of Prior Demonstrations of Polygraph Accuracy on Outcomes of Probable-Lie and Directed-Lie Polygraph Tests October 2001, (DoDPI02-R-0002). Department of Defense Polygraph Institute, Fort Jackson, SC 29207-5000. DTIC No. ADA404128
Knapp, R. B. (1995). The Use of fuzzy Set Classification of Pattern Recognition of the Polygraph (DoDPI96-R-0002). Fort McClellan, AL: Department of Defense Polygraph Institute. DTIC# A310844 and A310845
Lawson, A. L. & Pratarelli, M. E. (1997) Recognition of Concealed Information with Behavioral and Spectral Analyses. August 1999, (DoDPI00-R-0003). Department of Defense Polygraph Institute, Fort Jackson, SC, 29207-5000. DTIC No. ADA393410
Light, G. D., & Schwartz, J.R. (1993). The relative utility of the forensic disciplines (DoDPI93-R-0001). Fort McClellan, AL: Department of Defense Polygraph Institute. DTIC# ADA300302
Miller, J. (1994).Cardiovascular indices of guilty knowledge (DoDPI94-R-0016). Fort McClellan: Department of Defense Polygraph Institute. DTIC# ADA305954
Oberlin, M. (1994). Verbal conditioning of the galvanic skin response to deception (DoDPI94-R-0018). Fort McClellan: Department of Defense Polygraph Institute. DTIC# ADA304659
Reed, S. (1993). Effect of demographic variables on psychophysiological detection of deception examination outcome accuracies (DoDPI93-R-0007). Fort McClellan, AL: Department of Defense Polygraph Institute. DTIC# ADA304664
Reed, S. (1993). Subcultural report: Effects of examiner's and examinee's race on psychophysiological outcome accuracy (DoDPI94-R-0012). Fort McClellan, AL: Department of Defense Polygraph Institute. DTIC# ADA310901
Research Division Staff (2000). Test of a mock theft scenario for use in the psychophysiological detection of deception: IVTest of a mock theft scenario for use in the psychophysiological detection of deception: IV (DoDPI00-R-0002). Fort Jackson, SC: Department of Defense of Defense Polygraph Institute. DTIC #ADA393379

Research Division Staff, Meyerhoff, J. L., Saviolakis, G. A., Koenig, M. L., & Yourick, D. L. (2001) Physiological and biochemical measures of stress compared to voice stress analysis using the computer voice stress analyzer (CVSA). (DoDPI98-R-0004). Department of Defense Polygraph Institute, Fort Jackson, SC 29207. DTIC #ADA393408)

Research Division Staff (1995). A comparison of psychophysiological detection of deception accuracy rates obtained using the counterintelligence scope polygraph and the test for espionage and sabotage question formats (DoDPI94-R-0008). Fort McClellan, AL: Department of Defense Polygraph Institute. DTIC# ADA319333
Research Division Staff (1995). Psychophysiological detection of deception accuracy rates obtained using the test for espionage and sabotage (DoDPI94-R-0009). Fort McClellan, AL: Department of Defense Polygraph Institute. DTIC # ADA330774
Rosenfeld, J. P. (1997) Scaled P300 Scalp Profiles in Detection of Deception September 2002, Report No. (DoDPI02-R-0005). Department of Defense Polygraph Institute, Fort Jackson, SC 29207-5000. DTIC No. ADA407107
Shull, K. W., & Crowe, M. (1993). Effects of two methods of comparing relevant and control questions on the accuracy of psychophysiological detection of deception (DoDPI93-R-0002). Fort McClellan: Department of Defense Polygraph Institute. DTIC# ADA304538
Stelmack, R., Houlihan, M., & Doucet, C. (1994). Event- related potentials and the detection of deception: A two- stimulus paradigm (DoDPI93-R-0004). Fort McClellan: Department of Defense Polygraph Institute. DTIC# ADA318987
Stern, R.M. and Kircher, J.C. (1999). The Effects of Augmented Physiological Feedback on Detection of Deception March 2002 (DoDPI02-R-0009. Department of Defense Polygraph Institute, Fort Jackson, SC 29207-5000. DTIC No. ADA400823
Widup, R., & Barland, G. H. (1994). Effect of the location of the numbers test on examiner decision rates in criminal psychophysiological detection of deception tests (DoDPI94-R- 0015). Fort McClellan, AL: Department of Defense Polygraph Institute. DTIC# ADA300085
Yankee, W. J. (1991). Polygraph examiner attitudes on cross-cultural differences in the far east (DoDPI91-R-0001). Fort McClellan, AL: Department of Defense Polygraph Institute. DTIC# ADA304654
Yankee, W. J. (1993). An exploratory study on the effectiveness of event-related stimuli as a control procedure in the psychophysiological detection of deception (DoDPI93-R-0003). Fort McClellan, AL: Department of Defense Polygraph Institute. DTIC# ADA305865
 
Steve,

Your links all point to references to just Farwell and irrelevant stuff. Not very impressive.

You seem to forget that memory is not a slide show. People can forget quite efficiently their crimes and act quite normal, never give away anything. And the interrogators would also have to hide their own reactions, when the right room "came up". How can they? Extremely difficult, but they could give away leads that way.

As you say, none of this is admissable in court.

The use of and belief in polygraphs in the US is laughed at in Europe. We find it incredible that Americans can believe in such flummery.
 
C: Please post the "ongoing studies" you refer to - or, at least, the references.


Reply: Done. I gave you a list of recent references. Many of these researchers have continuing US government grants and their work is ongoing.

C: Please post the name and contact info of the researcher you mention.

Done. I gave you Farwell's name. I gave you his website with the e-mail contact.

C: Please post the scientific evidence of the procedure you describe.

Done. On the website above, if you spend some time, you will find Farwell's research papers available thereon.

Did you actually think I made up "Brain Fingerprinting"? -- hey, it was even in TIME magazine, the same rag that published Jaroff's crap about Michael O'Neill that Randi got in some mysterious e-mail. If I had to pit Farwell's work against this e-mail Randi is alleged to have gotten, I think Farwell's work wins hands down and Randi's crapola in the Jaroff article is just that, unsubstantiated b.s.

PS: Farwell's work is not classic polygraphy. It involves spectral analysis of the EEG, looking for the P300 and P800 and activity between these points that follow at least 300 millisecs after the target stimulus is viewed. The basic 4-channel polygraph is a joke and only works because it intimidates people. I agree with skeptics who have found reason to criticize standard 4-channel polygraph as useless or nearly so ...that is if it were not for their value as intimidation weapons.

On the subject of memories retained by murderers, I am interested in the evidence you have for your assertion that they are likely not to remmeber the scene of their crimes. Farwell and other psychophsyiologists seem to think they would carry away substantial memories of such scenes given the emotional intensity of their actions ......and remember, even if a killer consciously were to suppress such memories, this technique elicits a very distinctive perturbation in the EEG (P300/P800) on seeing the target photo (or audio if applicable). You should study up on ERPs or event related potentials, it might help you to understand this subject a bit better.

Larsen: And the interrogators would also have to hide their own reactions, when the right room......... "

Er, there is no interrogator and there needn't be one. The suspect is seated in front of a computer screen. He is wired to EEG. The computer shows the slide show and can be controlled from a second computer neworked to it or from the primary computer outside the presence of the suspect. To be completey unbiased, if there was an interrogator present, they needn't be given the designation or number of the target photo so they can't give anything away if they were present. The investigators in posession of this information should have no contact with the subject (e.g. suspect).
 
National Academy of Sciences Report

The National Academy of Sciences report, The Polygraph and Lie Detection, mentioned in the Boston Globe article, is available on-line here:

http://www.nap.edu/books/0309084369/html/

For examples of the effect that reliance on this pseudoscience is having on people's lives, see AntiPolygraph.org's "Personal Statements" page:

http://antipolygraph.org/statements.shtml

It includes two statements by Detective Bill Roche, one of those interviewed for the Boston Globe article.
 
plethysmograph?

Are their any ideas out there about the reliability or the science behind the penile plethysmograph?
 
tracer said:

But on the Fox TV series Anything For Love, they said the polygraph was 97% accurate!

They wouldn't think of breaking up relationships by subjecting people to a "lie detector" and asking if they've slept around, if they knew the lie detector was unreliable, would they? :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
Everyone knows the Fox Network would never sacrifice its integrity for ratings... Hey, how many people saw the "We never landed on the moon" documenatry :D...
 
Diamond said:


Al Franken must be laughing all the way to the bank about the Fox suit. It actually put the book to No.1 on Amazon for a while.

How can you trademark "fair and balanced"? "Fair and balanced" is an opinion, not a definitive description....and has never been used of Fox News.
Click to expand...

Good question, this puzzled me, too. Where do you draw the line with everyday words and phrases?
Perhaps, after this judgement, all the trademark means is that another news outfit can't use the slogan "Fair and balanced".
 
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