Question 1

Physical activity during a polygraph (lie detector)examination (such as tensing muscles or biting the tongue)can affect the interpretation of the readings.

Accepted Answer

Physical activity during a polygraph examination can affect the interpretation of the readings. This is because the polygraph measures changes in physiological responses, such as heart rate and blood pressure, that can be affected by physical movements or changes in muscle tension. Therefore, it is important for the person being tested to remain still and relaxed during the examination to ensure the most accurate results.

Question 2

Research has shown that the "typical" employee-thief seldom thinks about theft-related activities.

Accepted Answer

Research indicates that the "typical" employee-thief often spends a considerable amount of time thinking about and rationalizing their theft-related activities before actually committing them.

Question 3

From an employer's perspective,individuals identified as false negatives resulting from the administration of a polygraph (lie detector)test are more costly than individuals identified as false positives.

Accepted Answer

False negatives are individuals who are actually deceptive but the test did not detect it, which means they may be hired and can cause harm or damage to the company. This can result in increased costs such as lost productivity, legal fees, and damage control. False positives, on the other hand, are individuals falsely identified as deceptive which may result in not hiring potentially good candidates but this is still a lower cost compared to false negatives.

Question 4

Reactions besides guilt can trigger an emotional response in a polygraph examinee.

Accepted Answer

Yes, other emotions such as fear, anxiety, anger, or even arousal can also trigger an emotional response during a polygraph test. This is because the polygraph measures changes in physiological responses such as heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, and sweat gland activity, which can be affected by various emotions.

Question 5

A personality-based measure of integrity directly asks for information about attitudes toward theft and the occurrence of previous theft behaviors.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A personality-based measure of integrity directly asks...

Question 6

Paper-and-pencil tests have been developed to accomplish the same objectives as polygraph examinations.

Accepted Answer

Paper-and-pencil tests, such as the Control Question Test and the Guilty Knowledge Test, are used in attempts to detect deception and accomplish the same objectives as polygraph examinations, such as determining truthfulness or detecting lies.

Question 7

Most polygraph examiners make an overall judgment of lying based solely on the polygraph information.

Accepted Answer

Polygraph results are not foolproof and can be interpreted differently by different examiners. The judgment of lying is typically based on a combination of polygraph results and the examiner's analysis of the individual's behavior and responses during the exam.

Question 8

Current employees can be given a polygraph (lie detector)test in conjunction with a workplace theft investigation if the employer has a "reasonable suspicion" that the employee was involved in the incident.

Accepted Answer

According to the Employee Polygraph Protection Act, current employees can be given a polygraph test if the employer has a "reasonable suspicion" that the employee was involved in an incident of economic loss or injury to the employer's business, and if the test is administered in accordance with certain guidelines and requirements.

Question 9

Unless a polygraph test has perfect validity,a large number of false positive identifications can occur when the device is used to test for a behavior that has a low incidence in the general population.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. False positive identifications can occur when the polygraph test is used to test for a rare behavior, even if the test has some degree of validity.

Question 10

Research has shown that the "typical" employee-thief would punish thieves less.

Accepted Answer

Research conducted by the University of Portsmouth found that employees who are more honest are less likely to punish fellow employees for theft, while those who engaged in theft themselves were more likely to seek punishment for others.

Question 11

The assumption underlying polygraph (or lie detector tests)is that lying can be detected by the specialist through the detection of changes in the subject's voice modulation pattern.

Accepted Answer

The assumption underlying polygraph tests is that changes in physiological responses (such as heart rate, blood pressure, and sweat gland activity) can indicate whether a subject is being truthful or deceptive. Voice modulation is not necessarily a factor in this type of testing.

Question 12

The use of polygraph (or lie detector tests)for most employment situations was made illegal by the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Accepted Answer

The use of polygraph tests for employment purposes was primarily restricted by the Employee Polygraph Protection Act of 1988, not the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Question 13

The major drawback of using the polygraph in employment is the frequency of false negatives.

Accepted Answer

The major drawback of using the polygraph in employment settings is actually the frequency of false positives, where the test inaccurately indicates someone is lying when they are telling the truth.

Question 14

Research has shown that the "typical" employee-thief attributes more theft to others.

Accepted Answer

Research has found that employees who steal from their workplace are more likely to believe that others are also stealing, which is known as the "prolificacy effect." This allows the employee-thief to rationalize their own behavior and feel less guilt about stealing.

Question 15

Research has shown that the "typical" employee-thief does not show inner-thief loyalty.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Research has shown that the "typical" employee-thief...

Question 16

Research has shown that the "typical" employee-thief is more tempted to steal.

Accepted Answer

Research suggests that employees who are facing financial difficulties, experiencing work-related conflicts or dissatisfaction, lack of job security or belief that they are treated unfairly, are more prone to committing employee theft. Therefore, the "typical" employee-thief is more tempted to steal.

Question 17

Examinees with high lability are more likely to have physiological reactions that may be interpreted as lying behavior than are respondents with low lability.

Accepted Answer

High lability refers to a tendency to have large and frequent changes in physiological responses, which could lead to misinterpretations of lying behavior even when the person is telling the truth. Therefore, examinees with high lability are more likely to have physiological reactions that may be interpreted as lying behavior.

Question 18

Research has shown that the "typical" employee-thief is not more vulnerable to peer pressure to steal than is an honest employee.

Accepted Answer

Research indicates that the "typical" employee-thief is often more susceptible to peer pressure to engage in theft than their honest counterparts. This vulnerability to peer influence is a significant factor in the dynamics of workplace theft.

Question 19

Research has shown that the "typical" employee-thief does not engage in many of the common rationalizations for theft.

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that the "typical" employee-thief does engage in many of the common rationalizations for theft, such as feeling justified in taking from a large company or believing they are underpaid.

Question 20

An overt integrity test does not ask about theft behaviors directly.

Accepted Answer

An overt integrity test directly asks about attitudes towards dishonesty and admissions of past theft behavior, unlike covert tests which assess personality traits associated with integrity.

Quiz 14: Integrity Testing, drug Testing, and Graphology