Question 1

When a polygraph operator asks a subject, "Have you ever lied to your parents?", he or she is using

Accepted Answer

Control questions are questions that are designed to elicit a physiological response from the subject, regardless of whether the subject is telling the truth or lying. These questions are often personal in nature and are designed to create anxiety or stress in the subject. By comparing the physiological response to the control questions to the responses to the relevant questions, the polygraph operator can determine if the subject is lying. Therefore, asking if a subject has ever lied to their parents is an example of a control question.

Question 2

Regarding lie detector tests, which of the following statements is TRUE?

Accepted Answer

Lie detector tests are not accurate in detecting lies. They measure physiological responses like heart rate, blood pressure, and sweat gland activity, which can also occur due to anxiety or nervousness, and not necessarily due to lying. Therefore, the results can be misleading and inaccurate.

Question 3

When using a polygraph, the galvanic skin response is recorded from the _____ and measures _____.

Accepted Answer

The galvanic skin response is recorded from the hand and measures sweating.

Question 4

_____ skin response is a change in the electrical resistance of the skin, due to sweating.

Accepted Answer

Galvanic skin response (GSR) is a change in the electrical conductance of the skin, commonly measured by placing electrodes on the fingers or palm of the hand. It is a commonly used measure to assess psychological arousal, which can be caused by emotional or cognitive stimuli. GSR is also referred to as electrodermal activity (EDA) or skin conductance response (SCR).

Question 5

When trying to detect a lie, the polygraph operator begins by asking _____ questions, such as, "Is your name (person's name)?" or "Did you eat lunch today?"

Accepted Answer

The questions asked at the beginning of a polygraph test are irrelevant questions, meaning they do not pertain to the issue being investigated and are not expected to elicit lies or physiological responses. This phase serves as a baseline for the operator to compare to later questions.

Question 6

A skilled polygraph examiner asked a series of questions with critical items mixed among them.During this procedure, an innocent person

Accepted Answer

According to the question stem, critical items are mixed among other questions. Both guilty and innocent persons may respond emotionally to the whole procedure. However, a guilty person is supposed to respond more to relevant questions, while an innocent person may respond emotionally to the whole procedure but not necessarily more to relevant questions. Option A correctly reflects this distinction.

Question 7

Regarding the polygraph, which of the following statements is/are TRUE?

Accepted Answer

While A and C are false, B is true. The polygraph measures physiological changes in responses to questions, but it cannot determine the cause of those changes, so it cannot distinguish between lying and other factors such as fear or anxiety. The accuracy of the polygraph varies widely depending on the examiner and the situation, but it generally falls much lower than 98 percent. The polygraph is also more likely to produce false positives (labeling an innocent person guilty) than false negatives.

Question 8

A polygraph operator will ask questions, such as "Have you ever lied to your boss?" not to establish guilt, but to determine how the person typically reacts to doubt or misgivings.These types of questions are known as

Accepted Answer

Control questions are designed to elicit a stronger physiological response from the person being tested, regardless of whether they are telling the truth or lying. This is used as a baseline to compare to when they are asked relevant questions about the topic at hand. The other answer choices do not accurately describe these types of questions.

Question 9

Neutral, non-emotional questions, such as "Do you work at (place of employment)?" are called _____ questions.

Accepted Answer

Neutral, non-emotional questions are called irrelevant questions because they are not directly related to the matter being investigated and are used to establish a baseline response.

Question 10

The National Academy of Sciences recently concluded that polygraph tests

Accepted Answer

The National Academy of Sciences concluded that polygraph tests should not be used to screen employees. While polygraphs may have some use in specific law enforcement investigations and settings, they are not reliable or accurate enough for general employment screening.

Question 11

The question, "Is your address (person's address)?" asked during the administration of a lie detector test, is a(n) _____ question.

Accepted Answer

The question about the person's address is not relevant to the purpose of the lie detector test and therefore is an irrelevant question.

Question 12

The question, "Did you rob the liquor store?" asked during the administration of a lie detector test, is a(n) _____ question.

Accepted Answer

The question is relevant as it pertains to the issue being investigated (robbing the liquor store). Control questions are designed to establish a baseline for the individual's physiological responses and are not directly related to the issue at hand. Deceptive questions are designed to confuse or trip up the individual being tested. Irrelevant questions are not related to the issue being investigated.

Question 13

Regarding the polygraph, which of the following statements is/are TRUE?

Accepted Answer

All of these statements are true. The polygraph is not always accurate and can be fooled by various methods, such as self-inflicted pain or tranquilizing drugs. There have been cases in which innocent people were convicted based on polygraph evidence, and research suggests that it is more likely to falsely identify an innocent person as guilty than to falsely identify a guilty person as innocent.

Question 14

When lie detectors are used in field studies, an average of approximately _____ is rated as guilty by the lie detector.

Accepted Answer

Field studies have shown that lie detectors can have a significant rate of false positives, with about 1 in 5 innocent people being incorrectly rated as guilty.

Question 15

Regarding the polygraph, which of the following statements is FALSE?

Accepted Answer

This statement is false because polygraph readings can indeed be thrown off by the individual self-inflicting pain or using tranquilizing drugs during the testing. Such actions can affect physiological responses, potentially leading to a false reading. A skilled examiner can usually detect such attempts to skew the results, but it is not a foolproof method.

Question 16

You are being given a polygraph test as a condition of being employed at your company.The best advice would be for you to

Accepted Answer

Remaining calm during the polygraph test is important as it can help you answer truthfully and reduce the chances of false results. However, if the polygraph results are incorrect and you believe that you were not dishonest, you can challenge the results and provide additional evidence to support your case. Refusing to take the test altogether may negatively impact your employment prospects, and deliberately trying to skew the test results is unethical and could lead to serious consequences.

Question 17

The lie detector is an unreliable instrument because

Accepted Answer

All of these factors contribute to the unreliability of the lie detector. The accuracy of the lie detector test depends on the manner in which questions are asked. Just being questioned can make a person nervous and emotional, which can lead to inaccurate results. Additionally, the test can be "fooled" if a person thinks upsetting thoughts during irrelevant questions. Therefore, all of these factors make the lie detector an unreliable instrument.

Question 18

The question, "Did you murder Hensley?" asked during the administration of a lie detector test is a(n) _____ question.

Accepted Answer

The question is relevant because it directly pertains to the issue being investigated, which is whether or not the person being tested committed the murder of Hensley. Control questions are used to establish a baseline for the individual's physiological responses, while deceptive questions are used to detect attempts to manipulate or deceive the test. Irrelevant questions are not directly related to the topic being investigated.

Question 19

Regarding polygraph testing, which of the following statements is FALSE?

Accepted Answer

The galvanic skin response component of polygraph testing measures changes in sweating, not body temperature.

Question 20

_____ questions show how a person reacts to doubt or misgivings because such questions are very difficult to answer truthfully with an unqualified "no."

Accepted Answer

Control questions are designed to gauge a person's baseline level of truthfulness, and one common type of control question involves asking how the person reacts to doubt or uncertainty. The reason these questions are effective is that most people will feel some level of doubt or uncertainty about a particular topic, even if they are generally truthful. Therefore, a person's answer to these questions can provide valuable insight into their overall honesty and reliability.

Quiz 10: Extension C: Motivation and Emotion

When a polygraph operator asks a subject, "Have you ever lied to your parents?", he or she is using

Regarding lie detector tests, which of the following statements is TRUE?

When using a polygraph, the galvanic skin response is recorded from the _ and measures _.

_____ skin response is a change in the electrical resistance of the skin, due to sweating.

When trying to detect a lie, the polygraph operator begins by asking _____ questions, such as, "Is your name (person's name) ?" or "Did you eat lunch today?"

A skilled polygraph examiner asked a series of questions with critical items mixed among them.During this procedure, an innocent person

Regarding the polygraph, which of the following statements is/are TRUE?

A polygraph operator will ask questions, such as "Have you ever lied to your boss?" not to establish guilt, but to determine how the person typically reacts to doubt or misgivings.These types of questions are known as

Neutral, non-emotional questions, such as "Do you work at (place of employment) ?" are called _____ questions.

The National Academy of Sciences recently concluded that polygraph tests

The question, "Is your address (person's address) ?" asked during the administration of a lie detector test, is a(n) _____ question.

The question, "Did you rob the liquor store?" asked during the administration of a lie detector test, is a(n) _____ question.

Regarding the polygraph, which of the following statements is/are TRUE?

When lie detectors are used in field studies, an average of approximately _____ is rated as guilty by the lie detector.

Regarding the polygraph, which of the following statements is FALSE?

You are being given a polygraph test as a condition of being employed at your company.The best advice would be for you to

The lie detector is an unreliable instrument because

The question, "Did you murder Hensley?" asked during the administration of a lie detector test is a(n) _____ question.

Regarding polygraph testing, which of the following statements is FALSE?

_____ questions show how a person reacts to doubt or misgivings because such questions are very difficult to answer truthfully with an unqualified "no."