Take The Lie Detector Test Or Not? (1 Viewer)

[EugeneR]

As has been said, it depends on what part of the "government" we are talking about. The DOE relatively recently commissioned a study by the National Academy of Scienes on the effectiveness of polygraphs for a very pragmatic reason--they were thinking of using them in ensuring security at nuclear facilities. The conclusion reached after a million taxpayer dollars ws spent on research?
"The National Academy of Sciences declared Tuesday that polygraph examinations are dangerously unreliable and the federal government should cease depending on them to screen for security risks. The academy's 18-month, federally-funded study found that the so-called lie detector not only incorrectly deems large numbers of people who are telling the truth to be liars, but may have allowed spies and others posing security risks into sensitive positions because they were able to pass polygraph tests." --Story in Chicago Tribune, Tue, Oct. 08, 2002

Executive Summary of Study

I wouldn't take a polygraph exam if my life depended on it.
Especiallly if my life depended on it, come to think of it.

 

[Henry Gale]

This hits close to home!
Last summer I was accused of some sort of retaliatory vandalism. Only by chance did I even hear about it and when I did I immediately went to the relevant law enforcement agency. They asked what I knew about the incident and I in turn asked when it occurred. Turned out I was half a continent away at the time and had tons of evidence to prove that. Being ultra thorough, they kept investigating, and asked if I would submit to a lie detector.
I replied, with my usual candor, “Well, they’re a piece of crap, but sure, I think it would be fun!”
Of course, I did run this conversation by my attorney and he advised me to not take the test. I reminded him that I was innocent.
It wasn’t mentioned again for a couple of months, but the next time it was, an investigator asked me, “Do you believe in lie detectors?”
Interesting phrasing.
Still completely lacking in tact I replied, “I think they’re a pile of crap, but it would be fun to take the test!”
They never asked again.
I haven’t checked the links the previous posters have provided but from the research I did last fall you could have a bit of fun with the procedure by educating yourself before hand.
Ask the examiner for his credentials, ask to see the record of the last time the polygraph was calibrated, if it has just been moved it needs to be recalibrated. Ask for a list of the questions they intend to ask you. Feel free to stop the procedure before it starts, or at any time.
These are your rights.
After the test is completed count on them lying to you about the results as an intimidation factor so you’ll roll into the fetal position and admit that you kidnapped Judge Crater on August 6, 1930.

 

[Francois Caron]

I like the idea of bringing in the police. Check with a lawyer first. If the theft is genuine, then a cop would be able to figure out more or less what really happened. And if the "victim" is pulling a scam, he'll wish he never did since he'll be facing fraud charges.