Question 1

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

Accepted Answer

Research on employee theft often shows that individuals who engage in theft do indeed use various rationalizations to justify their actions, such as feeling underpaid, believing the company won't miss the stolen items, or thinking they deserve more. These rationalizations help them mitigate the cognitive dissonance associated with violating their own moral or ethical standards.

Question 2

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 3

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

Accepted Answer

Research suggests that individuals who engage in theft themselves may have a more lenient attitude towards punishing similar behavior in others, possibly due to cognitive dissonance or self-justification.

Question 4

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 lying can be detected through physiological responses such as changes in blood pressure, pulse, respiration, and skin conductivity, not through voice modulation patterns.

Question 5

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 6

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 emotional instability or the tendency to experience rapid and intense emotional changes. Examinees with high lability are more likely to exhibit physiological reactions such as increased heart rate, sweating, or nervous movements, which can be misinterpreted as signs of deception, even if they are simply nervous or emotionally reactive.

Question 7

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

Accepted Answer

Research indicates that the "typical" employee-thief is often motivated by opportunity or temptation rather than by financial need alone. This suggests that factors such as lack of supervision, perceived low risk of getting caught, or the belief that the theft will not significantly harm the employer can increase the likelihood of employee theft.

Question 8

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 is because the lower the incidence of the behavior in the general population, the higher the proportion of non-offenders (or non-behaviors) in the population. Even a small false positive rate (indicating someone has the behavior when they do not) can result in a large number of false identifications due to the large number of non-offenders being tested.

Question 9

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

Accepted Answer

A personality-based measure of integrity typically assesses traits related to integrity, such as conscientiousness and reliability, rather than directly asking about attitudes or past behaviors related to theft.

Question 10

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.

Question 11

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 12

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, such as tensing muscles or biting the tongue, can alter physiological responses measured by a polygraph, potentially affecting the interpretation of the results. These actions can create physiological responses that mimic or mask those associated with deception, complicating the examiner's ability to accurately interpret the data.

Question 13

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 (individuals who are innocent but are identified as guilty) are more costly because they may be denied employment or promotion, while false positives (individuals who are guilty but are identified as innocent) are less costly because they may be hired or promoted despite their guilt.

Question 14

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

Accepted Answer

Research indicates that individuals who engage in employee theft often rationalize their actions by attributing similar or greater levels of theft to their coworkers, thereby diminishing their own sense of guilt or wrongdoing.

Question 15

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

Accepted Answer

Polygraph tests measure physiological responses to questions, and these responses can be triggered by a variety of emotions, not just guilt, including fear, anxiety, surprise, or anger.

Question 16

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 17

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

Accepted Answer

Paper-and-pencil tests, such as the Psychological Stress Evaluator (PSE) and the Voice Stress Analysis (VSA), have been developed with the aim of detecting deception, similar to the objectives of polygraph examinations. These tests are designed to assess psychological and physiological indicators of stress and deception without the need for physical sensors attached to the body, offering an alternative approach to lie detection.

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

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

Accepted Answer

Polygraph examiners consider both the physiological responses recorded by the polygraph and the examinee's behavior and responses during the examination when making a judgment about deception.

Question 20

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

Under the Employee Polygraph Protection Act of 1988 in the United States, employers are generally prohibited from using lie detector tests, either for pre-employment screening or during employment. However, there are exceptions, including for employees who are suspected of involvement in a workplace incident (such as theft), where the employer has a reasonable suspicion that the employee was involved.

Quiz 14: Testing for Counterproductive Work Behaviors