Question 1

The polygraph's invention is attributed to:

Accepted Answer

William Marston, an American psychologist, is credited with inventing the early prototype of the polygraph (lie detector) in 1915. His work laid the foundation for future developments in lie detection technology.

Question 2

Which is NOT one of the Canadian agencies listed in the text as using the polygraph for employment screening?

Accepted Answer

The Canada Revenue Agency is not listed in the text as using the polygraph for employment screening.

Question 3

The control question test (CQT) posits that guilty individuals react to _____ questions, whereas innocent individuals react to _____ questions.

Accepted Answer

The control question test (CQT) suggests that guilty individuals will have a stronger reaction to relevant questions (those related to the crime) because these questions directly pertain to their guilt, whereas innocent individuals are more likely to react to control questions (general questions that could make anyone uneasy) because they have no particular reason to react to the crime-specific questions.

Question 4

According to a study conducted by Honts, Raskin, & Kircher (1994), the use of countermeasures reduced the detection of guilty suspects by _____ percent.

Accepted Answer

The answer of According to a study conducted by Honts,...

Question 5

According to one study, _____ percent of individuals reported that squirming, glancing askance, and fidgeting were indicators of untruthfulness.

Accepted Answer

According to the study, 70 percent of individuals reported that behaviors such as squirming, glancing askance, and fidgeting were indicators of untruthfulness. These behaviors are commonly associated with discomfort or nervousness, which people often interpret as signs that someone may be lying.

Question 6

According to the text, police mistakenly believe that they can detect lies with an accuracy of _____ percent when in reality their accuracy rate is about_____ percent.

Accepted Answer

Police often overestimate their ability to detect lies, believing they can do so with 77% accuracy, while studies show their actual accuracy is around 52%.

Question 7

The theory behind the polygraph test is that:

Accepted Answer

The theory behind the polygraph test is that lying causes physiological arousal, such as increased heart rate, blood pressure, and sweating, which can be detected by the machine.

Question 8

According to a study of college student interactions noted in the text, on average, study participants told _____ lies in about 10 minutes.

Accepted Answer

The correct answer is 2.9 lies in about 10 minutes, as noted in the study of college student interactions.

Question 9

As one Canadian Supreme Court Justice explained, determining who is telling the truth involves a number of factors. Which is NOT one of the factors?

Accepted Answer

Lie detection testing is not a factor considered by the Canadian Supreme Court in determining who is telling the truth, as its reliability and admissibility in court are contentious issues.

Question 10

According to the text, polygraphers fail to snare about _____ percent of guilty suspects and falsely accuse approximately _____ percent of innocent individuals.

Accepted Answer

Polygraphers fail to catch about 21% of guilty suspects and falsely accuse around 16% of innocent individuals.

Question 11

According to research completed by Bond and DePaulo (2006), people's ability to distinguish lies was noted as:

Accepted Answer

Research by Bond and DePaulo (2006) found that people's ability to distinguish lies from the truth was only slightly better than chance, indicating that humans are not particularly skilled at detecting deception without additional aids or training.

Question 12

The tendency to seek out information about people that supports our beliefs and discount information that does not is known as:

Accepted Answer

Confirmation bias is the tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms one's preexisting beliefs or hypotheses, while giving disproportionately less consideration to alternative possibilities.

Question 13

Research on the accuracy of the polygraph is generally done in one of two ways. Those two ways are:

Accepted Answer

Laboratory studies and field studies are the two primary methods used to research the accuracy of polygraphs. Laboratory studies involve controlled settings, while field studies involve real-world situations.

Question 14

Lying is considered to be an adaptive behavior from a(n) _____ point of view.

Accepted Answer

From an evolutionary point of view, lying can be a useful adaptation that allows individuals to protect themselves and enhance their chances of survival or reproduction. For example, an individual may lie to avoid detection by predators, to deceive competitors or rivals, to attract mates, or to gain resources or social status. Therefore, lying can be seen as a natural and strategic response to environmental pressures and social opportunities.

Question 15

When one study compared police detectives and college students in their ability to detect whether prisoners were telling the truth in staged videotaped confessions, which was NOT one of the findings?

Accepted Answer

The correct answer is that the police were not found to be almost 15 percent more accurate than the students at distinguishing true from false confessions. This suggests that the police's ability to discern the truthfulness of confessions was not significantly better than that of the students, contrary to what might be expected given their professional training and experience.

Question 16

According to Porter and ten Brinke (2009), when investigators, judges and jurors rely on irrational cues such as gut feelings or intuition in their assessments and thus bias subsequent information, it is called:

Accepted Answer

Dangerous Decisions Theory refers to the idea that when decision-makers rely on irrational cues like gut feelings or intuition, it can bias their interpretation of subsequent information, leading to potentially dangerous decisions.

Question 17

Techniques such as the use of drugs, alcohol, and physical distractions are all examples of:

Accepted Answer

These techniques are considered countermeasures to polygraph testing because they are used to try to mask or alter physiological responses to questions, potentially affecting the test's accuracy.

Question 18

The major criticism of research attempts to replicate the conduct of actual criminal uses of the polygraph is that:

Accepted Answer

The major criticism is that it is impossible to replicate the high stakes and emotional intensity a criminal would experience during a polygraph test, affecting the validity of research findings.

Question 19

According to the text "_____ hypothesis" posits that human intelligence was accelerated by the need for humans to develop social skills related to manipulation and deception.

Accepted Answer

The Machiavellian intelligence hypothesis suggests that human intelligence evolved to a great extent due to the need for solving social problems, including manipulation and deception within complex social structures.

Question 20

Which is NOT a criticism of the polygraph explained in the text?

Accepted Answer

The criticism that its use creates tensions with employee unions in most provinces is not mentioned as a criticism of the polygraph in the text provided. The other options (B, C, D) are common criticisms related to the lack of standardization, the possibility of manipulation, and subjective scoring, respectively.

Quiz 3: Lie Detection