CHAPTER 1

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF POLYGRAPH

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this module, learners would be able to:

1. Determine the origin and history of Polygraphy
2. Discuss the general concepts, theories and principles of Polygraphy

Let’s Explore:

What is Polygraphy?

It is the scientific method of detecting deception with the use of a polygraph instrument. This in
new name of LIE DETECTION.

What is a Polygraph?

The term “polygraph” means “many writing”. The name refers to the manner in which
selected physiological activities are simultaneously collected and recorded. The polygraph is a
recorder, of a psycho-physiological changes occurring within the examinees body as the polygraph
examiner asks a series of series of test questions.

Basically, the polygraph instrument is a combination of medical devices that are used by
physicians in monitoring the physical conditions of their patients. As an examinee is questioned about
a certain event or incident, the examiner records and monitors the relative changes in the examinee’s
heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, and electro-dermal activities.

What is a Lie Detector?

It is the popular but misleading name of the Polygraph. The instrument was so named because
it makes various ink recording of a person’s body function which will be interpreted by the
polygraphist to determine whether the subject has been lying or not.

What is the other name of the Polygraph?

It is also called “Truth Verifier” since statistics show that the vast majority of the instances the
instrument verifies an innocent person’s truthfulness.

What are the Concepts of Polygraph Examination?

1. Used to test an individual for the purpose of detecting deception or verifying the truthfulness of
his statements.
2. It is done by recording identifiable physiological reaction of the subject, such as: blood
pressure, pulse rate, respiration and skin resistance.
 3. The effectiveness of the polygraph in recording symptoms of deception is based on the theory
that “a conscious mental effort on the part of a normal person to deceive causes involuntary
physiological changes that are in effect a body’s reaction to an imminent danger to its
wellbeing”.

What are the objectives of a Polygraph Examination?

Polygraph examination is conducted in order to:

1. Obtain additional investigation leads to the facts of the case/ offenses.
2. Ascertain if a person is telling the truth.
3. Locate the fruits or tools of crime and whereabouts of wanted person. 4. Identify other
person involved (accomplices of crime) 5. Obtain valuable information from reluctant
witness.
6. Eliminate the innocent suspects.

What are the Principle uses of the Polygraph Examination?

1. Aid in investigating criminal incidents and issues.

2. Speeds up the process of investigation.
3. Eliminates innocent suspects.
4. Pre-employment screening.
5. Honesty test (periodic test)

What is the significance of understanding Lie Detection?

In every criminal investigation, the truth must be established to ensure proper prosecution of
offenders. Criminal investigators must exert all effort to determine lying not only on the part of the
suspect but as well as to everyone involved in the criminal act- witness, victims, etc...

In establishing the truth, criminal investigators apply various methods such as: observation;
mechanical lie detection; use of drugs that inhibits the “inhibitor”; hypnosis and interrogation.

What is Lie?

A lie is any of the following: untruthful statement, falsehood, anything that deceives or creates false
impression, untrue statement especially with intent to deceive or to give an erroneous or misleading
impression. It is also synonymous to deceits, deception, fabrication, falsehood and untruth.

What is meant by “Detection”?

In this context, detection is the act of detecting, discovery, perceiving, finding, or uncovering
something obscure such as a lie.

Why do people lie?

 There are many reasons why people lie. But commonly, it is due to fear of detection that one
has committed something undesirable or would like to preserve something valuable. For instances,
he may feel that detection would result to embarrassment, penalty and punishment, thus, placing his
whole life at sake.

A person’s fear, anxiety and apprehensions are channeled toward the situation which reminds his
instinct of self-preservation to struggle out from the consequences of the wrong he had already
done.

What are the General Kinds of Lie?

1. White Lie or Benign Lie – These are the kind of lies used to protect or maintain the harmony
of friendship or any relationship.

2. Pathological Lie – This a lie made by persons who cannot distinguish right from wrong.

3. Red Lie – This involves political interests and motives because this is a part of communist
propaganda strategy. This is prevalent in communist countries or communist infested nations.
Example: propaganda – brain – washing and black mail via espionage and treason.

4. Black Lie – A lie which accompanies pretensions and hypocrisies, intriguing to cause dishonor
or discredit ones good image.

5. Malicious or Judicial Lie – This is very pure and unjustifiable kind of lie that is intended
purely to mislead or obstructs justice.

What are the Types of Liars?

1. Panic Liars – one who lies in order to avoid the consequences of a confession, they are afraid
of embarrassment and it is a serious blow to their ego. They believe that confession will just
make the matter worst.

2. Occupational Liars – are practical liars and lies when it has a higher “pay off” than telling the
truth.

3. Tournament Liars – are those who love to lie and are excited by the challenge of not being
detected. For them an interview is a contest and wants to win, these person realizes that they
will probably be convicted but will not give anyone the satisfaction of hearing them or her
confesses, the want that people will believe that the law is punishing an innocent person.

4. Psychopathic Liars - the most difficult type, these person have no conscience and shows no
regret for dishonestly and no manifestation of guilt.
5. Ethnological Liars – are those who taught not to be a squealer (squeal – to cry or to shrill
voice-used by underworld gang in order for their member not to reveal any secret of their
organization).

6. Pathological Liars – are persons who cannot distinguish right from wrong due to their sick
mind. They are insane.
7. Black Liars – are persons who always pretend what he is and what he thinks of himself.

What is the Theory of Lie Detection?

It must be recognized that there is no such instrument that could be detect lies. The popular
name, “Lie Detection,” given to a polygraph, is somewhat misleading. No collection of inanimate
objects including the very finest and complicated modern computers, can detect deception on the
part of any human being.

This so called “lie detection” simply certain physiological activities of the body. These
physiological activities are constantly in operation as long as the person is alive. You should be
aware that the most common lie detection instrument records the breathing pattern of inspirational
and expiration, a continuous pattern of relative blood pressure and pulse rate, and a pattern of
electrodermal responses.

It is well known that the body adapts itself as efficiently as possible to its environment. If the
environment changes, the body will rapidly adjust itself to any changes. This is done by a
complicated system of internal checks and balance primarily involving the autonomic nervous
system. This ability to adjust is necessary if the organism or body is to survive in a constantly
changing world. Those organisms that cannot adjust rapidly die out.

What is the Theory of the Lying Person?

The polygraph technique uses the principle that the bodily functions of a person are influenced
by his mental state. The physiological changes accompanying deception are capable of being
recorded, measured and interpreted with reasonable certainty.

Telling a lie is usually an emotional experience. A conscious act of lying causes the mind of a
person, which produces an emotion of fear or anxiety, manifested by fluctuations in pulse rate, blood
pressure, breathing and perspiration. The physiologic fluctuations that come with the emotion are in
nature automatic, self-regulating and beyond conscious control because they affect the functioning of
the internal structures that prepare the body foe emergency.

The underlying psychological here includes:

1. The lying person fears detection, causing physiological changes to take place in his body.
2. Fear of detection must be experienced by the subject; otherwise no physiological changes will
occur.
3. A person “tunes in” that which indicates trouble or danger by having his sense organs and
attention for a particular stimulus, and he “tunes out” that which is of a lesser threat to his
selfpreservation or general well-being.
4. In a series of questions during the polygraph test containing relevant and control questions, the
lying subjects will “tune in” on the most intense relevant questions and “tune out” the control
question and may not be materially affected by other weak relevant questions.
5. The truthful subject will direct his attention to the control question wherein the consciously knows
he is deceptive and “tune out” the relevant ones.
 What are the External Observable Signs and Symptoms of Lies/Deceptions?

Generally, when a person fears to be detected, signs and symptoms which indicate lies, guilt,
or deception could be observes through facial expression or postural reactions such as:

1. Stammering and swearing to or before God that he did not commit the offense.
2. Pointing his guilt to somebody else.
3. Refuses to answer questions thru alibis and excuses.
4. All the time absent-minded.
5. Always requesting repetition or questions.
6. Often ask counter questions and counter queries.
7. Blushing, paling or profuse sweating of forehead.
8. Dilation of the eyes, protrusion of eyeballs and elevation of upper eyelids.
9. Squinting of the eyes (showing envy, distrust, etc.).
10. Twitching of the lips and or excessive winking of the eyes.
11. Failure to look the inquirer “straight into the eyes”.
12. Excessive activity of the Adam’s apple and the vein at the temple due to dryness of throat and
mouth. Sometimes with shivering of nose and nostrils.
13. A peculiar monotone of the voice or a forced laugh.
14. Rolling of eyeballs from one direction to another.
15. Often ask permission to go to comfort room, etc.
16. Fidgeting, tapping or drumming of fingers on the chairs or the other surfaces.
17. Swinging of legs or one leg over the other.
18. Unnecessary movement of hands and feet (like scratching, nail biting, thumb or finger sucking).
19. Pulsation of the artery in the neck.
20. Incoherence, trembling and sweating of the whole body.

What is the Non-verbal Behavioral Assessment?

The corresponding line of suspect assessment is the nonverbal. In order to achieve the high
level of assessment liability, the verbal portion of the assessment needs to be linked with the more
obvious responses of non-verbal behavior. The combined total of response record is what provides
the interrogator or interviewer with the information and insight necessary to the determination of truth
and deception.

In general, what is being evaluated is the body of natural, unintentional, often instinctual
physical responses to certain stimuli.

Sigmund Freud confirmed the significance of non-verbal behavior in assessing the overall
psychological state of the subconscious effect of concealment.
 “He that has no eyes to see, and ear to hear, may convince himself that no mortal can keep a
secret. If his lips are silent, he chatters with his fingertips; betrayal comes out of him from every
pore”.

What are the Categories of Non-verbal Behavior?

1. Emblems – these are non-verbal behavior that expresses the entire communication. No spoken
words are necessary. Emblems are accurate clues of person’s true feelings and statements.
However, emblems cannot be seen as universal or they do not have the same meaning in all
society. Interviewers must be very careful against misreading emblems and must take into
consideration that emblems are dependent on an interviewee’s societal and cultural background.

Example:

• Rising of person’s hand standing alongside the road to “hitch” a ride, even though he never
said a word.
• Thumb rising when asked how he feels about being interviewed.

2. Illustrators – are non-verbal behaviors which assist the listener better understand the verbal
communication. They indicate consistency between non-verbal and verbal messages. Since the
speaker is attempting to assist the listener in understanding what is being said, as illustrators
increase, the probability of truthfulness increases. As they decreases, or suddenly stop, the
possibility of deception increases.

Example:

• Speaker who uses his hand to demonstrate the beat of his words.
• A distasteful facial expression of a person as he tells you that is what he is eating is not very
good.
• Banging on the table by a person with his fist as he speaks angrily.

Adapters – are non-verbal behavior that serve no purpose in helping the verbal communication, and
often detract for it. They are indicators of deception. As with illustrators, adapters often occur as hand
gestures and body position and include any type of rubbing, stroking, picking, massaging or touching
of the body or face.

Example:

When asked, “did you commit that crime?” the suspect may verbally reply, “No I did not!” if the
response were accompanied by an illustrator, like touching the chest, he would be confirming his
innocence. Verbally he would be saying, ‘I didn’t’ do it!” then he reinforces the statement nonverbally
by pointing to him saying, “You can look right at me, because I didn’t do it!” on the other hand, if he
had covered his mouth as he squeezed his nose, he would have used negative adapters. Covering
his mouth makes the verbal message more difficult to understand, while squeezing the nose
indicates disbelief in what is being said.

In observing this non-verbal behavior, it is important that the interviewer or interrogator should
consider cultural differences. What may be an adaptor or an illustrator in one cultural setting may
have an entirely different meaning in another. For example, people from the Middle East maintain
closer distances than Westerners during conversation. In Thailand, staring someone in the eye is a
challenge to fight. In South Africa, young persons are taught to cross their arms and look down, to
show respect, when communicating with an elder.

Areas to note when assessing Non-Verbal Behaviors.

1. General Posture
2. Head and Face
3. Eyes
4. Arms and hands
5. Sense Arousal Gesture
6. Feet and legs
What are the usual problems encountered by police investigators during interrogation?

1. The determination whether subject is telling the truth regarding the crime under investigation.
2. Obtaining admission or confession from a suspect after his guilt has been established.
3. Reluctance of fearful witnesses and informants who are in possession of helpful information to
disclose them to the interrogator.

Information buzz:
Search the following
• What are other kind of lie
• Role of ANS in the Polygraph Examination.

Let’s Measure:
Activity 1
Name: Year block
Title of Activity Defining Basic Concepts and Terminologist
Procedures/Instruction Define or give the concepts/meaning of the following:
1. Polygraph
2. Polygraphy
3. Lie detection
4. White lie
5. Black lie
6. Panic Liar
7. Occupational liar
8. Judicial lie
9. Polygraphist
10. Pathological Liars

Scoring Rubrics:
2 Points each for every correct definitions

Activity 2:
 A. Examinee records and monitors the relative changes in the examinees. Enumerate the
changes. (2points each)
1.
2.
3.
4.
B. For you, why do you have to lie to others? (state)(2points)

References:
POLYGRAPHY:
(THE ART SCIENCE OF LIE DETECTION
A Basic Course Module in Polygraph Examination
By: Nicholas S. Caballero &
Rommel K. Manwong