POLYGRAPH

TECHNIQUES AND
TEST QUESTIONS
Nature of Test Questions
Formulating the questions to be used
in the polygraph test is a critical part of
the whole test procedure. Let us bear
in mind that all questions must be
framed in words or terminology that are
most familiar to the subject. Hence,
medium of the test depends on the
subject’s understanding of the
language used.
 General Rules on
Question Formulation
Questions must be simple and direct.
Not involve legal terminology like murder, rape, etc.
Be answerable by YES or NO.
Be clear and phrased in a language the subject can
easily understand.
Never contain an inference that presupposes
knowledge on the part of the subject.
Must not be in a form of accusation.
Refer to one offense only.
Not contain influence to one’s religion , race or belief.
Test Question Techniques
Irrelevant questions are those pertaining to
basic data and information regarding the
background of the subject not related to the
case but are ask to establish the normal
response of the subject.
Relevant questions are those queries related
to the issue which may be classified as strong
relevant or weak relevant which indicate
deception on the part of the subject.
Relevant Questions
Strong relevant or crucial questions
These questions are intended and created
to test for direct participation only and
specifically designed to produce an
emotional response in guilty subject.
Secondary or weak relevant questions
are questions that concern secondary
element of the crime and deal mostly on
guilty knowledge and partial involvement.
Weak Relevant Questions
Sacrifice Relevant or DYAT questions Do
You intend To Answer Truthfully) are
designed to absorb the response generally
generated by the introduction of the first
relevant question in the series. Reaction to
these questions gives the examiner a clue as
to Subject’s attitude of willingness or
voluntariness to submit to the test.
Knowledge Questions – This type of
question is propounded to the subject to prove
whether he possesses the information leading
to the identification of the offender or the
location of the stolen property.
Evidence Connecting Questions – this has
to do with inviting subject’s attention on the
probability of incriminating proof that would
tend to establish his guilt, by linking him and
his predicaments to the fingerprints, footprints,
tool marks, etc. collected at the crime scene.
• Control questions which refers to queries
which may either be relevant or irrelevant
designed to establish & obtain response from
an innocent subject. It is sometimes referred
to as a probable lie. It provides a basis for
evaluating the subjects perceptual set.

Knowledge questions which is given for the

purpose of determining information known to
the subject;
GUILT COMPLEX QUESTIONS - This refers to the
questions which safeguard against mistaking
relevant question response of the guilt complex
reactor as deception responses, and is based on a
fictitious crime situation closely parallel and equal in
weight to the actual crime under investigation.
SYMPTOMATIC QUESTION – Its function is to
detect and evaluate the presence of outside issues
which may suppress response to relevant questions.
This is often true that subject fear they might be
asked about another cases in which they are
involved, but are not the subject matter under
investigation.
“SKY” QUESTION – This
SKY questions are three
questions group together in
order to detect suspicion,
knowledge and direct
participation of the subject:
S – stand for suspect
K – means knowledge
Y – You
HOW TO SEQUENCE
TEST QUESTIONS
Polygraph examination does not only
prescribe or limits its application to a
particular type of questions formulated.
There are various types of test
construction developed by the foremost
scholars and scientists of the polygraph
such that incriminating types of
questions must be safeguarded.
TEST PROCEDURE AND DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUE
No test should ever be conducted without a
pre-test interview, during which the subject is
conditioned for the test and questions to be asked have
been carefully formulated by the examiner.
The pretest interview also involved the casual
asking of a series of questions which are pre designed to
elicit verbal and non-verbal responses that will give the
examiner an indication of the subject’s truthful or
deceptive status without unnecessarily releasing his
tension or engaging in any accusatory interrogation.
The Pretest Interview and Preparation of
Test Questions

•Greetings must be cordial but reserved.

•Request the subject to sit down on the
chair alongside the instrument.
•Subject is requested to sign a form stating
that he is voluntarily agreeing to submit to
the test.
•The “Miranda Rights” be enumerated and
explained to him.
TYPES OF TESTS
•General Question Test- answerable by “Yes” or
“No”, questions in which the subject knows it to be
true.
•Peak of Tension Test – refers to the series of
questions in which only one has a bearing on the
matter under investigation. This is conducted where
there is a widespread knowledge pertaining to a
crime but the intimate details are known only by the
offender. It is answerable by “No” only.
•Silent Answer Test -is a confirmatory test because
the subject is afraid of the unfamiliar and the
unknown. It is an examination in which the subject is
instructed by the examiner to avoid audible response
to the questions being asked.
•Guilt Complex Test – in cases where the subject is
overly responsive, this test is given which consists of a
test pertaining to a purely fictitious incident of a similar
nature to the one under query.
•Mixed Question Test- This is consists of an
arrangement of first and third test questions,
administered for the purpose of discounting possible
factor of accidental responses and to compare the
degree of reaction between control and relevant
questions. The objective of such changes in question
choice of words is to direct the subject’s attention to
certain particular items or
 ZONE COMPARISON TEST
•ZONE- a twenty to thirty five seconds block of
polygraph chart time initiated by a question having a
unique psychological focusing appeal to a predictable
group of examinees. The color coding according to
Bacster are the following:

•Green zone- for the Control questions

•Red zone- for the Relevant questions &
•Black zone- for the Symptomatic questions
The Reid and Inbau Techniques.
1. Have you ever been called by the name Gary?
2. Do you drink water?
3. Were you in the vicinity of Pedro”s house between 7:00
and 9:00 last night?
4. Are you sitting down now?
5. Did you steal the watch of Pedro?
6. Before reaching the age of 25, have you ever stolen
anything?
7. Do you smoke cigarette?
8. Were the footprints outside the house of Pedro yours?
9. Do you know for sure who stole the watch of Pedro?
10. Have you ever stolen anything from the
neighborhood?
11. Have you ever lied answering any of my questions
now?
Backster’s Zone Comparison Test.
1. (Irrelevant) Have you ever called by the name Gary?
2. (Sacrifice Relevant) Regarding the stolen watch, do you intent to answer
truthfully each questions about that?
3. (Symptomatic) Are you completely convinced that I will not ask any
question on this test that has not been reviewed?
4. (Control) Can you remember stealing anything before you were 25 years
old?
5. (Strong relevant) Did you steal Pedro’s watch?
6. (Control) Other that what you told me, did you steal any other things from
the neighborhood?
7. (Strong Relevant) Did you steal Pedro’s watch from his house?
8. (Symptomatic) Is there something else you are afraid I will asked you,
though I told you I would not?
9. (Guilt Complex) Did you steal that gold coin collection?
10. (Weak Relevant) Do you know where the missing watch of Pedro now?
11. (S) Do you suspect anyone in particular of stealing the Pedro’s watch?
12. (K) Do you know for sure who stole Perdo’s watch?
13. (Y) Did you steal Pedro’s watch.
 CHART MARKING AND
INTERPRETATION

The Descriptive Types of Breathing

•Normal
•Rapid
•Slow
•Shallow
•Deep
•Serrated inhalation or exhalation or both
•Deviations caused by coughing or mechanics of
answering
POLYGRAPH
TRACINGS
•PNEUMOGRAPH TRACINGS INDICATIVE
OF DECEPTION
•Change in amplitude or volume;
•Change in rhythm or regularity; Ex. Shallow
•Change in the inhalation and/or exhalation
ratio;
•Change of baseline;
•Loss of baseline;
•Hyperventilation; (deep breathing)
•Suppression;
•Respiratory block.
•GALVANOGRAPH TRACINGS INDICATIVE OF
DECEPTION
•The galvanograph tracing is located at the center
portion of the chart when properly balanced takes
the form of a slightly wavering line across the
middle portion of the chart with a minor response
to spoken stimuli. The ff are the tracings:
•a) Vertical rise at point of deception;
•b) Double saddle response;
•c) Plunging galvo tracing;
•d) Long degree and/or duration of response
following point of deception.
•CARDIOSPHYGMOGRAPH TRACINGS INDICATIVE
OF DECEPTION
•The tracing is usually found at the bottom of the chart & it
records the activity of the heart which is made up of three
physiological phenomena: a systolic rate; a diastolic stroke & a
diacrotic notch. The normal pulse rate of an average individual
is 69 to 73 beats per minute. The tracings are the following:
•Increase or decrease in amplitude;
•Increase or decrease in pulse rate;
• Increase or decrease in blood pressure;
• Change in the position or disappearance of diacrotic notch;
• Extra systoles –which is the premature contraction of an
auricle or ventricle while the fundamental rhythm of the heart
is maintained.
EFFORTS TO BEAT THE
TEST
(COUNTERMEASURES)
Countermeasures are deliberate
attempts by a subject to change or
disguise his physiological
responses or to deceive the
examiner. These techniques are
well known to the examiners, and
most can easily be detected.
Countermeasures fall into the
following categories:
INGESTION. Eating,
inhaling or drinking
something to alter
bodily responses.
INJECTION. Introducing drugs or
medication into the blood to alter
bodily responses.
EXERTION. Attempting to
alter bodily responses by
exercise or fatigue.
PAIN. Attempting to alter bodily
responses by self-inflicted pain.
MENTAL TECHNIQUES. Forced
concentration, fantasy, yoga,
hypnosis, meditation, rationalization
or similar methods to alter the mental
responses to questions that cause
the physical responses measured in
the examination.
PHYSICAL TECHNIQUE.
Tension or relaxation of
certain muscle during the
examination in an attempt
to alter or disguise
involuntary bodily
responses to questions.
When countermeasures are
encountered, it is clear evidence of an
intent to deceive. Even when
countermeasures are not detected,
the structuring of the examination and
the means used to evaluate
responses make it all impossible for a
subject to successfully deceive the
examiner.
INVESTIGATOR’S RESPONSIBILITIES
Better results may be obtained when the
investigator has an understanding of the
polygraph instrument, polygraph examination
techniques, and the limitations involved.
Maximum effectiveness depends in large
measure on how the subject is handled by
investigators prior to the examination, and by
carefully informing the examiner of all the case
facts, the subject’s prior criminal history, and all
statements (written or verbal) already obtained
from the subject or from the investigation.
The subject should have his background,
alibi, etc., checked before he is brought to
the examiner, as this will aid the examiner
in preparing the various test questions. All
facts should be ascertained prior to the
examination so the examiner can evaluate
them and from valid questions.
Regardless of how minute the information
may seem it may be extremely important
to the examiner.
It is vital the investigator neither
downplay the possible admissibility of
polygraph examination evidence, nor
create unnecessary anxiety on the part
of the subject by attempting to explain
the nature of the instrument and testing
process. Simply inform the subject the
examiner will explain all the procedures.
 The primary purpose of the polygraph
examination is to determine if a subject is
being truthful. Investigators can facilitate the
effectiveness of the test by the following
certain standard procedures. If truthfulness
can be determined, the investigator can
proceed accordingly. Admission or
confessions obtained during or as a result
of, polygraph examination obviously aid the
investigator.
The examination is a supplement
to investigation, not a substitute
for investigation.