Equal numbers of males and females were assigned to either the guilty or innocent condition with equal numbers in each group receiving either a probable-lie or a directed-lie polygraph test resulting in a 2 × 2 design with two experimental factors (test type and deceptive condition).
But the authorities thought the informant's admission was a lie, and a polygraph test confirmed their suspicions.
The polygrapher will most likely try to convince you that he or she can "see" a lie in your polygraph, even if there's nothing abnormal there.
The present study tested the accuracy of probable-lie and directed-lie polygraph tests.
Researchers have long questioned the reliability of the polygraph as a lie detector, and Elizabeth Letourneau says that adolescents may be particularly vulnerable to "admitting" to more than they actually did.
"The polygraph is not a lie detector but a medical instrument.
To detect lies, polygraphs measure physiological changes as a window into the emotional state of liars.
Becker and Bumby also asked if the boys ever told the truth and polygraph results indicated it was a lie.
Should brain imagers give law enforcement a "lie detector" far more reliable than the mechanical polygraph, and if so, is the reading of a mind of a resistant terrorist akin to torture?
raised eyebrows when he told reporters that the White House should require officials with security clearances to take a polygraph test, also known as a lie detector test, to help determine who wrote the incendiary op-ed.
