Tips from a polygraph examiner on how to prepare for a lie detector test

Most popular questions

The full list of questions that are asked to an employee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs during testing is not subject to public disclosure and is not widely available. However, you can familiarize yourself with an approximate list of possible questions:

Do you love weapons?
Have you ever kept a military secret?
Did you drink alcohol?
Have you committed thefts?
Have you ever gambled for money after you turned 18?
Have you used any psychotropic substances?
Would you like to participate in combat?
Do you enjoy humiliating others?
Do you like specials? operations?
Have you used drugs?
Have you driven a vehicle while intoxicated?
Do you like being humiliated?
Have you used smoking mixtures?
Have you ever killed an animal?

It is worth considering that if any of the questions asked are too personal or unacceptable for the subject, he can always refuse to answer them.

However, this may affect the test results

Questions and answers:

What is Computer Lie Detection?

is a psychophysiological study of the human body using so-called sensors that very accurately detect the moment when a person is telling a lie.

What happens to a person when he lies?

– his body parameters change significantly, such as breathing, skin resistance, pulse, pressure, etc., which are recorded directly by a lie detector.

What is a lie detector (polygraph)?

is an electronic device that records the psycho-physiological state of a person using sensors attached to the human body.

– a polygraph is an instrument that records various physiological changes in the body of a subject when he is asked specific questions. These questions can cause a psychological response in the test taker, which causes a reaction in the test taker's body, which causes a physiological response. Physiological reactions of respiratory, electrodermal and cardiovascular activity are recorded.

How does a polygraph work?

– Respiratory activity is recorded by placing two expandable sensor tubes on the subject. One tube is located on the subject's chest above the heart, the second is around the abdomen. The galvanic response of the skin or the activity of the sweat glands is recorded by attaching two small metal plates to two fingers. Cardiovascular changes are recorded using a blood pressure cuff. All these micro changes are recorded while the subject asks a series of questions. The subject's responses to the questions are quantified using the criteria of the standard for the polygraph method used.

Who is a polygraph examiner?

- this is a specially trained person to work with a polygraph, who has a higher psychological or medical education.

How is polygraph testing performed?

– the psychophysiological examination procedure takes place with the voluntary consent of the subject! The subject must understand the essence of the procedure and the purpose of testing. It is at least not correct to keep people in the dark and in tension. A lie detector is not torture or a stress test; it is a common form of interview using psychophysiological analysis. Testing takes place in several stages:

Preliminary conversation up to 40 minutes.
Testing lasts from 1.5-3 hours (depending on complexity), this also includes a post-test conversation from 5 to 10 minutes.
Processing of results, data analysis.

It takes time to analyze the data received.

How long does a polygraph test take?

Typically, the polygraph test process lasted at least 90 minutes. The exam may take longer depending on a number of considerations, such as the complexity of the case or the questions asked of the examinee. Typically, a lie detector test takes about 3 hours.

What questions will be asked during the exam?

It depends on the specific case. We will review all issues with the examinee and the client prior to the exam. There are no surprising questions.

Where is this taught?

Only autonomous non-profit organizations that have a “State License” have the right to train specialists.

Will nervousness affect results?

All subjects are expected to feel a level of nervousness. This is completely normal. Nervousness will not lead to misleading results.

How much does a polygraph exam cost?

The cost will vary depending on the complexity of the case. More complex cases require a significant amount of time, which increases the cost. Remember that all polygraph tests are not equal, and any polygraph examiner offering to take the exam at a significantly reduced price must be carefully tested, equipment used, and software updated. If the issue is important enough to warrant a lie detector test, then it is important enough to warrant a good polygraph examiner.

Please check the price on request, in the form or by phone.

I am a certified polygraph examiner under the program “Psychophysiological research using a computer polygraph”, I completed an internship at the ANO “Antey Polygraph Training Center”

I know when you're lying: how to fool a polygraph?

July 17, 2021, 11:18 am - Public News Service - OSN In ancient China, every person suspected of a crime was “tortured” with rice: they were forced to take a handful of dry cereal into their mouth and listen to the accusation. Are you spitting out dry grains? Guilty! According to the logic of those years, the fear of exposure stops salivation. In Africa, potential criminals passed bird eggs to each other: in whose hands the delicate shell broke, he broke the law.

Today, attackers are exposed using a lie detector if there is no other evidence. However, some scientists call polygraphology a pseudoscience. And in most countries, data from instrumental psychophysiological studies are not accepted as evidence in court. Then why do investigative authorities still use them? This method of bringing people to clean water is also popular in business - what if it’s also in vain? The public news service looked into the complicated issue together with an expert from the Coordination Council of Non-Profit Organizations of Russia, the president of the International Center for Psychophysiological Research, psychologist and polygraph examiner Maxim Kovalenko.

How is the procedure performed?

All these sensor wires that we know from television investigative stories are only part of the procedure. Because, at least for the last few years, leading polygraph examiners work not only with the machine. They carry out a comprehensive psychophysiological study (CPFI).

Polygraph examiner Maxim Kovalenko. Photo: personal page of the hero of the publication on the network

As Maxim Kovalenko explained to OSN, an experienced specialist first simply communicates with a person, determines his type, evaluates the nonverbal component of the conversation that manifests itself in the conversation - facial expressions, gestures, tone of voice, handwritten testimony (if an investigation is being conducted) - and draws conclusions based on these criteria whether a person is deceiving or not.

And after that, it generates questions that are included in the testing program. “If the conversation before testing is not conducted correctly and incorrect questions are drawn up, and this is the first and very important stage, then unreliable results are obtained. And this is not the fault of the polygraph. He's just a device. There is obvious incompetence of the specialist who performed the procedure,” Maxim Kovalenko stands up for his working tool.

The detector is lying

Thus, the polygraph as such cannot show unreliable results. However, as well as reliable ones. The technical tool simply reads the physiological reactions of a person, which he gives in response to certain stimuli - questions.

This is what one of the first polygraphs looked like. Photo: website poligraf.center

“Any lie is stress, but not every stress is a lie. A polygraph examiner should understand this very clearly,” explains the president of the International Center for Psychophysiological Research. Thus, the effectiveness of the procedure depends entirely on the person who conducts the testing. That's the whole secret of the polygraph.

The effectiveness of a comprehensive examination, which lasts from one and a half to five hours (depending on the situation and complexity of the task), according to the expert, reaches 99%. “This does not mean that a person sits in sensors all the time. Conversations on various topics can take four hours - with smoke breaks and lunch breaks, if necessary,” says Maxim Kovalenko.

Yogi Trickster

But what about people who know how to control their own psychophysiological processes? Yogis and spies. Can they outsmart a lie detector?

Some experts claim that spies and yogis can easily fool a polygraph. Photo: cont.ws

“Of course, the format of counteraction using psychological and physical techniques is possible, but again, it is immediately visible to a specialist. In order to deceive a polygraph, yoga needs to enter some kind of nirvana, trance. However, then his breathing will be too even! Based on the skin reaction (sweating on the fingers), which is not noticeable to the eye, the machine easily calculates the resistance to testing. An experienced specialist will be able to identify both professional athletes who know how to breathe “correctly” and card cheats,” the president of the ICPI is confident.

Does a polygraph give accurate answers?

In fact, lie detectors in a primitive form have existed for a long time. Ancient Indians determined whether a person was telling the truth by ordering him to spit a mouthful of rice onto a leaf. A person who tells the truth will spit everything out without a grain; and whoever lies will have rice stuck in his mouth. This process was presumably dependent on dry mouth, which is a physiological factor associated with lying.

The creator of the polygraph himself, cardiologist Sir James Mackenzie, invented this miracle in 1906 and used it exclusively for medical research. In 1921, Harvard University student William M. Marston, an American psychologist and author of the Wonder Woman comic strip, invented the modern polygraph. And 86 years later, the lie detector was digitized. This increased its accuracy and efficiency in detecting lies. Most experts tend to be of the opinion that a digital polygraph test is 97% accurate. However, there are no results with 99.9% confidence - this is just a publicity stunt of some polygraph examiners who want to get an order at any cost. The real, fair percentage of the result is between 85% and 97%.

Most researchers do not consider the polygraph a reliable way to find out the truth

When a well-trained expert uses a polygraph, he can detect lies with high accuracy. However, since the examiner's interpretation is subjective, and because different people react differently to lies, polygraph testing is not perfect and the lie detector can be fooled. Therefore, the discussion about the need to use a polygraph continues to this day, and its participants take diametrically opposed positions.

It turns out that the world is split into supporters and opponents of the polygraph. And while scientists agree that polygraphs can measure bodily changes, they disagree on whether polygraphs and other lie detectors can accurately distinguish truth from lies. Opponents of this hypothesis argue that polygraph tests detect bodily changes associated with anxiety, and therefore none of them are a reliable way to detect lies. Additionally, polygraph tests take many different forms and are used in different ways by different testers.

The mysticism surrounding the detectors, instead of a solid scientific basis, in itself explains a lot and speaks about the value of this device.

Among the factors that influence the results of polygraph tests are the following:

Extreme emotional stress or nervousness Anger Concern about the neglect of duty or responsibility that enabled the crime Physical discomfort during the test Excessive number of test questions Use of medications Poor question wording

How to fool a polygraph

There are many popular techniques that allow you to mislead the polygraph. Options:

Button in shoe. With each answer, you need to press your heel on it to change your emotional background.
Drink a lot of water so that you constantly want to go to the toilet.
Take a lot of sedatives.
Constantly clench your body muscles or cramp your limbs (such as your toes).
Biting the tip of your tongue.

It is important to understand that polygraph examiners know all these techniques and can easily unravel the subject’s intentions.

Alternative methods for detecting lies There are several alternative methods that will allow you to achieve the desired polygraph results, but the people who conduct polygraph tests know how to bring a person to clean water. The most common:

Ask the same question several times, but in different forms and intonations.
Assessment of external factors.
Putting a person to sleep. Even simple humor can produce results.
Sometimes polygraph examiners start conversations on topics that are unpleasant for the subject, and then return to the main topic.
Studying a person’s psychotype and managing the diagnosis.

The last point is the most effective. If the examiner is an experienced psychologist, then he can easily win over a person or bring him out of a calm state with a few phrases.

Does a polygraph give accurate answers?

Most researchers do not consider the polygraph a reliable way to find out the truth

The mysticism surrounding the detectors, instead of a solid scientific basis, in itself explains a lot and speaks about the value of this device.

Among the factors that influence the results of polygraph tests are the following:

Extreme emotional stress or nervousness
Anger
Concern about the neglect of duty or responsibility that made the crime possible
Physical discomfort during the test
Excessive number of test questions
Use of medications
Poor wording of the question

In general, lie detectors cannot be called a reliable way to find out the truth. Therefore, many courts refuse to use the results obtained during a polygraph interrogation as evidence. At the same time, lie detectors are constantly evolving, and engineers are trying to find other ways to reliably determine whether a person is answering questions honestly. Have you ever taken a polygraph test?

The polygraph won't ask too much

Sergey Valerievich, do your students worry during the study?

Sergey Ivchenko: Our main contingent is candidates for service in the internal affairs bodies. In addition, current employees appointed to a higher position are tested. Those who come for the first time usually feel nervous. To relieve tension, we first talk with the candidate and try to establish psychological contact with him. Then we show how the polygraph works. This is a computer with a sensor unit and sensors that record physiological indicators of the body. And besides, we explain how to behave in a chair, we even offer to sit in it and adapt.

How should you behave?

Sergey Ivchenko: I advise you to take, relatively speaking, the pose of a sphinx. The chair has wide armrests. You need to place your hands completely on them, place your feet on the floor with your entire feet, and look in front of you. The eyes should not run around, and you shouldn’t squint them too much either. Sensors are attached to a person, they are also built into the armrests, backrest, seat, and under the legs of the chair. The slightest movement of your fingers or toes, slight tremors, muscle tension - everything will be reflected on the monitor. If the movement is repeated, we regard this as opposition to the polygraph and have the right to stop the study.

Maybe the person is too emotional...

Sergey Ivchenko: If you rely only on the indicators of the device, a specialist is not needed. When in doubt, we conduct other studies, check and double-check the data. Here's a practical example. A young man was applying for a job with us. During testing, we talked to him about drugs. The guy admitted that he tried them once during his military service. Did not like. I start asking questions, and immediately the polygrams (graphs) show increased psychophysiological reactions: the heart began to beat faster, breathing became irregular, in a word, the body behaved differently. The young man claims that he did not commit anything related to drug trafficking. Let's move on to the questions. The reaction is the same. As a result, they concluded: the person is hiding something. After some time, he was invited again. He said he took drugs not once, but more than four times. He hid the whole truth, but his body gave him away. There are very conscientious people among the test takers. One, for example, remembered how, as a child, he stole a friend’s phone, then he felt ashamed and threw it to the owner. Can a person be considered a thief? We do not make hasty decisions. We approach each individual individually.

Do you always discuss topics before testing?

Sergey Ivchenko: Definitely. The topics are open, they relate to drug trafficking, weapons, connections with the criminal world, committing crimes, the tendency to abuse official powers, etc. We do not go beyond the scope of the topic. This is not an interrogation, but a dialogue, we are not trying to extract any information. It is important to obtain objective data. Therefore, a person must be calm and answer questions clearly. If he doesn't understand something, he can ask about it. The procedure itself is quite monotonous and leisurely, taking on average at least two hours.

Were there anyone in your practice who did not complete the study?

Sergey Ivchenko: Everyone passes the polygraph. But about ten percent of test takers hide negative information.

Is it possible to fool a polygraph?

Sergey Ivchenko: The detector evaluates physiological indicators that cannot be controlled. You can probably learn to control your emotions and outwit the technique, but it is impossible to deceive an experienced polygraph examiner. In addition to sensor readings, we monitor intonation, voice timbre, and gestures. Special techniques have been developed to distinguish truth from lies.

If a polygraph can bring anyone to clean water, where do corrupt officials come from?

Sergey Ivchenko: It’s difficult to answer this question definitely. You need to know all the circumstances of the case. Besides, the polygraph examiner is not a gypsy. A specialist has the right to ask questions only about facts that have already happened and cannot predict the future. According to the standards, the polygraph examiner’s conclusion is valid for a year. But a person changes. Perhaps he was sincere at the time of testing, and then changed. By the way, we do not accept polygraph data as evidence in court. The study is quite reliable, but still contains additional information and is probabilistic in nature. If, for example, the investigation did not support its accusation with an impeccable evidence base, the polygraph will not save you.

Meanwhile

Private organizations have appeared in Kurgan offering psychophysiological polygraph testing. As one of the companies said, employers most often turn to them to verify the integrity of employees or to test an applicant for a higher position. But sometimes married couples come in wanting to test one of the spouses with a lie detector.

How to successfully pass a polygraph?

According to experts who are involved in printing testing, the accuracy of the resulting results is 95-97%. The device records such processes occurring in the human body as:

breath;
cardiovascular activity (pressure, heart rate);
sweating;
electrical resistance of the skin, etc.

No matter how hard a person tries to appear calm and unperturbed on the outside, the body will betray him if he lies. Only some people who are pathological liars and know how to control themselves well sometimes manage to fool the polygraph. In other cases it is almost impossible.

To successfully pass testing before the procedure, you must:

have a good rest and sleep;
avoid strong worries, stress and physical tension;
Avoid taking certain medications (in particular, sedatives);
Avoid consuming alcoholic beverages or drugs.

You should also try to calm down and not be afraid of testing, since all such reactions of the body may be perceived incorrectly by the device.

Questions during routine checks at work using a lie detector

Periodic surveys using a polygraph keep personnel from inappropriate behavior in the team, violations of the law and work duties. Such events are useful for ensuring the safety of the organization. The set of measures is aimed at identifying unscrupulous employees who violate the criminal code or cooperate with competitors. The purpose of a scheduled inspection may be to prevent the theft of goods or funds.

When using a polygraph, questions to employees may concern areas such as:

industrial espionage,
theft or bribery,
relations between employees,
interaction with criminal structures.

How is testing carried out?

Polygraph testing consists of several stages.

Meeting and getting acquainted with a polygraph examiner. Preliminary conversation in which the purpose of the inspection will be explained and the procedure explained

It is important to know that all questions that will be asked will be discussed. Until the polygraph examiner is convinced that the test taker knows and understands all the test questions, he will not begin the procedure itself.

The person signs consent to undergo testing or refusal. If you agree, the testing phase begins. First, detailed instructions are given: how to behave, what not to do, sensors are put on, and questions are asked. During the tests, the polygraph examiner may have additional questions in connection with the reactions of the test taker. In this case, a second conversation is conducted, the information is clarified and changes are made to the test questions, and the test continues. At the end of the procedure, the polygraph examiner releases the test taker and processes the results obtained and prepares a conclusion.

How to achieve automation

As already mentioned, a detached, calm state will help to deceive the polygraph - when a person does not try to form mental images of life situations in his mind. But it’s quite difficult to completely detach yourself and give negative and positive answers in a timely manner, alternating them correctly. Only a few truly succeed in this.

How to achieve the desired state? Try to mentally switch to any other problem that is relevant to you. In this way, you seem to isolate yourself from the questions being asked; accordingly, you do not analyze them and do not imagine images of situations that are critical for you.

Tips for passing a polygraph

In order to pass the test, you first need to just relax, especially if there is nothing to blame you for. You should not think about the importance of what is happening and immediately tune in to a negative result. At least you won't worry and try to remember all your mistakes accumulated over your life. For example, they often ask: “Have you ever stolen?” And a person who, in principle, has never taken anything from someone else, suddenly remembers by chance that he took a toy without asking in kindergarten; if he answers “no,” then his answer will be recorded by the detector as a lie. The reason for this result will be an internal conflict between the memory and the answer. Therefore, remember: when taking the test, do not try to remember life situations, do not think about or analyze the questions asked to you. Answer as sincerely as possible, but also somewhat automatically.

By the way, automatism can help fool a polygraph. For example, a person may answer questions detachedly without forming mental images of situations from his life. But only a few are capable of achieving a completely detached state and correctly alternating positive and negative responses. But you can achieve this state by switching your attention to some other, more important problem. In this case, you actually brush off the questions asked to you and, therefore, do not have time to analyze them and form mental images in your head of situations that compromise you.

Lie detector test procedure

Before starting, the polygraph examiner gives detailed instructions to the subject and connects the sensors. A candidate screening session lasts several hours. If the expert suspects the subject of trying to deceive the device, it may drag on even longer.

How to pass a lie detector

It should be remembered that without your consent no one has the right to force you to take a polygraph.

It doesn’t matter in what situation such a need arose. You must first be asked to sign a consent.

If you are unsure of your abilities, it is better to refuse immediately.

When preparing for a lie detector test, you should take into account the advice of a polygraph examiner:

sleep well;
Do not be scared;
follow instructions;
answer questions clearly and specifically.

And a few more tips from a polygraph examiner:

It is necessary to take a comfortable position without unnecessary tension. Warn immediately if any factors cause discomfort. Movements during the session should be minimal.
In order to pass the polygraph correctly, do not rush to answer the question until you have listened to it to the end and understood the meaning. But don’t think too long.
Don't delve too deeply into your memories. If, when asked about theft, you go through the events of your childhood, when you borrowed a shovel from a neighbor in the sandbox without permission or mistakenly took a pen home from work, nothing good will come of it.
Do not interrupt the polygraph examiner or argue with him. Do not try to evaluate how the specialist reacts to your words, whether he believes them. Don't ask him questions. It is especially not worth clarifying whether the polygraph can make a mistake. This question calls into question the importance and professionalism of the polygraph examiner. Automatically causes negative emotions towards you.
Behave confidently and kindly. It is the polygraph examiner who will interpret the results. If he has a favorable impression of you, it will likely have a positive effect on his lie detector report.

How to fool a polygraph

If you still have something to hide, some techniques can help you not give yourself away. Although they are not easy to apply.

First of all, you should overcome your fear of the procedure. This will make it much easier to control responses, emotions and body indicators.

From the very first question you should provoke non-standard reactions in yourself. This effect can be achieved thanks to:

pain (pinches, scratches, button injections);
sedatives;
feeling tired or drowsy;
emotional thoughts;
bladder fullness.

Thus, the fluctuations in physiological reactions when answering obvious questions will be quite high. They will be accepted as the norm. Bursts when answering significant questions will not seem so contrasting.

As noted above, the lie detector does not react to the lie itself, but to your reaction. Believe what you say. If a person is absolutely convinced of the truth of his words, anxiety is minimal. It is not for nothing that they believe that the best people to fool a lie detector are actors and pathological liars.

Think through your story in advance, all the subtleties and details, motives. Rehearse the lie detector test with someone close to you. Preferably several times. Let your assistant evaluate how natural and harmonious the answers to compromising questions sound.

Control of physiological reactions

There are several techniques that will allow you to control physiological reactions:

Your palms will sweat less when answering uncomfortable questions if you pre-treat them with a special ointment based on salicylic acid or alcohol. You can find the product at any pharmacy. First, you should test it. The smell may give you away.
We must not forget about the frequency of inhalation and exhalation. This is one of the physiological indicators that you can learn to control. However, it takes training.
Another method is to focus on a neutral object. Let your thoughts be occupied by some picture with a neutral subject, for example, a still life with fruit. When answering all questions, think about what is shown on it, what the frame looks like. This will reduce emotionality.
The question substitution method works in a similar way. Mentally change the polygraph examiner’s question and answer it.
Alcohol, sedatives, sedatives, drugs for lowering and increasing blood pressure will certainly complicate the work of the lie detector. The main thing is not to overdo it. This may negatively affect your health or cause suspicion.

Lie detector questions.

Before the test begins, a small mandatory preparation for the polygraph is carried out. Those. The specialist introduces you to the topic and questions that will be on the test. However, they can be clarified or discussed. It is important that both the polygraph examiner and the test taker clearly understand them, and that you decide how and what you will answer. The specialist cannot ask questions that have not been voiced before. He can also ask them not only on the topic under investigation. The polygraph examiner may ask about some other aspects of the subject’s personality:

self-esteem;
anxiety level;
important memories;
environmental assessment;
self-esteem, etc.

But do not be afraid of them, since each of them is important for obtaining highly accurate and reliable results.

However, there are topics on which questions cannot be asked. For example, the subject’s sexual inclinations, as well as his political and religious views. The only exceptions are those cases when marital fidelity is being tested.

Position of a polygraph examiner.

There are different specialists in psychophysiology, with different experience and knowledge. At the same time, some schools for training polygraph examiners have an accusatory bias, i.e. train them to act as prosecutors

Therefore, pay attention to the psychological attitude of the specialist. Also remember the following tips when taking a polygraph:

pay special attention to search tests; If a polygraph examiner openly accuses you of something, and you feel guilty (even though you are not guilty), ask him to change him.

Is it worth fooling a lie detector?

As mentioned above, there are questions that you do not want to answer or simply do not want to tell the truth. There's nothing wrong with that. Sometimes it is very difficult to tell the truth. I would like to clarify one nuance: sensors do not distinguish small lies from big ones. For her there are only two concepts: lies and truth. Human physiology reacts equally to the theft of candy from a friend and to theft on an especially large scale. For this reason, it is best to clarify certain points when discussing issues. This will make it possible to obtain the most reliable results, which will subsequently save you from unnecessary suspicions and problems.

Preparing for a lie detector test.

Before starting testing, remember the following tips from a polygraph examiner on how to pass a polygraph:

On the eve of the test, get a good night's sleep and rest. This procedure may take 2-3 hours. In this case, the person is prohibited from moving or even blinking. Therefore, you need to be as focused and collected as possible;
before testing, do not drink alcohol-containing drinks, sedatives or tonic medications;
Do not overeat or come on an empty stomach;
do not drink large quantities of any liquids;
if you feel unwell, reschedule the meeting;
be as honest as possible.

What affects the test result

Before taking a polygraph test, you should know that the result largely depends on the internal state of the subject. A person being tested on a lie detector must sit still, he is prohibited from moving his legs, arms, head, eyes, tensing his muscles and even swallowing saliva. All these actions are a distraction and can provoke a physiological reaction, which will be recorded by the polygraph, which, in turn, will affect the result.

Categories of questions for testing

The polygraph, previously familiar to ordinary citizens except from spy action films, has today become a kind of fashion trend. It is used by employers to ensure the honesty of their employees, organizers of television talk shows, and even ordinary citizens who are willing to pay for a specialist’s service. Since the device has gained popularity, it is difficult to briefly describe what questions are usually asked on a polygraph. There is an unshakable rule: the wording should be such that the answer can only be “yes” or “no”.

Conventionally, all questions asked during testing can be divided into three categories:

general (neutral),
tests,
basic (test).

The first type of questions is used to configure the device to the individual parameters of the person being tested. The main block consists of topics that interest the customer. Employers are interested in finding out what kind of lifestyle a candidate leads, how honest he is, and whether he is prone to conflicts.

How to behave correctly during the examination?

Before polygraph testing is carried out, you will be required to sign an agreement stating that you voluntarily agree to undergo such a procedure. There are several categories of people who may refuse to conduct research for medical reasons. These include:

Diseases of the central nervous system;
Mental illnesses;
Pregnancy, especially in later stages;
Stroke and chronic heart disease.

In addition, no one can force you to undergo testing. This is always a voluntary decision.

Before you start giving answers, you need to clarify the questions you are asked. The reason is that the only answer that the system can consider is “yes” or “no”. During the session itself, it is better not to ask anything.

Another important requirement is to try to give answers quickly and not think for a long time about what you are going to tell the specialist. The process of thinking through a difficult question can potentially lead to the fact that the polygraph readings will be distorted or you may be suspected of trying to deceive the system.

Remember that the main thing is not to worry in any situation.

What is a polygraph

A polygraph is a technical device used to record a person’s psychophysiological reactions that arise in response to questions—stimuli—posed to him.

Attention! In ordinary life, many people call the device a lie detector. The procedure is carried out by a polygraph examiner - a specialist with special education in the field of conducting research using a polygraph.

The procedure is carried out by a polygraph examiner - a specialist with special education in the field of conducting research using a polygraph.

The main objective of the examination is to establish the reliability of the information provided by the person being assessed to the polygraph examiner.

Polygraph

Passage procedure

The algorithm for testing an employee with a polygraph is as follows:

Conducting an introductory conversation and introductory briefing. At the same time, the employee is asked about their readiness to undergo the procedure, its expected duration and possible questions.
Signing the declaration of completion. This document confirms the voluntary participation of the employee in the procedure.
Conducting an explanatory conversation. During the test, all questions that will be asked during testing are discussed and clarified.
Technical preparation for testing. At this stage, the specialist conducting the procedure (polygraph examiner) attaches the necessary sensors to the body of the person being tested. After this, he calibrates the polygraph, since in some cases it is necessary to adjust it to the individual characteristics of the body.
The actual testing. At this stage, the subject is asked questions according to a pre-approved list. If any answers cause doubts or ambiguities in the expert, they can be asked again during the procedure, and more than once.
Conducting a test conversation. It is usually carried out in the middle or at the end of testing. During this conversation, some questions asked during testing may be discussed or clarified.
Obtaining and processing results. In accordance with the signed declaration, these results can only be transferred to the customer and are strictly confidential.

During testing, only two people can be present - a polygraph examiner and the employee being tested.

Why is a polygraph necessary?

A polygraph is a device that is used to conduct special psychophysiological studies of a person. They are aimed at identifying hidden information in his character that is incompatible with work in the police department.

Examples of such information could be:

presence of selfish motives;
predisposition to corruption or its manifestations in the past;
drug connections (taking or distributing such substances);
alcohol abuse;
connections with criminal structures;
gaming addiction;
illegal possession and storage of weapons;
forgery of documents or money;
sadistic tendencies and a tendency to cruelty, etc.

The lie detector test procedure is used both when hiring new candidates and when assigning promotions to existing police officers. It is designed to improve the quality of personnel by selecting the most worthy applicants and thus improve the image of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the eyes of ordinary citizens.

However, there are some contraindications regarding the test. For example, it cannot be carried out in relation to:

persons who have not reached the age of 14 years;
employees who are in a state of severe physical fatigue or stress;
pregnant women;
persons suffering from chronic diseases;
other persons for whom inspection is contraindicated for health reasons.

The presence of such contraindications must be confirmed by a special certificate or conclusion from a medical institution.

Is it possible to fool a polygraph?

But catching your interlocutor in a lie is not so difficult, especially if you have extensive experience communicating with liars. For thousands of years, people used only intuition until technical solutions to problems appeared.

In this video, Timur Markov will tell you whether it is possible to outwit a polygraph, what methods and techniques exist:

Today everyone knows about the existence of a polygraph (“lie detector”), because it is:

A mechanical device capable of detecting any changes in human behavior;
A universal tool for determining whether a person is lying or not;
A breakthrough in the social sphere, no one can now lie with impunity;
One of the options for resolving legal disputes.

And only the first point has anything in common with reality. All the rest are complete fiction. According to research, polygraph accuracy ranges from 70-85%

. The numbers are good, but it turns out that per thousand checked there are up to 300 erroneous results.

Just imagine if data from a lie detector were used in judicial practice - how many innocent people would receive real sentences? It is better to remain silent about acquitted criminals.

It is quite possible to deceive a complex mechanism

Constant training is required;
The task will be greatly simplified with low qualifications of the polygraph operator;
It is possible to use medications to distort the final results;
The power of persuasion will serve you well.