POLYGRAPHY

(The Instrumental Scientific Deception Detection)

A Compilation

By

CAMILLUS LAUREL ALLEGO, SR.

Private Polygraph Examiner
&
Instructor, College of Criminal Justice

University of Cebu, Cebu City

(18 November 2008)

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CRIMINALISTICS 5
(Formerly, POLICE SCIENCE 7 & CRIMINALISTICS 42)

The Instrumental Lie-Detection & Criminal Interrogation

POLYGRAPHY

POLYGRAPHY - (from the two Greek words: “POLY” which means MANY or MORE; and
“GRAPHOS” which means WRITINGS) is defined as the scientific deception detection
with the use or aid of a Polygraph.

POLYGRAPH - (or Deceptograph, or Lie-Detector, or the “Pneumo-Galvo-Sphygmo-

Cardio-Graph”) is an instrument or device capable of recording bodily changes occurring
in the blood-pressure/ pulse rates, respiration, and the electrical properties of the skin (or
the galvanic-skin-reflex or GSR), which are indicative of emotional excitement, especially
of lying, when questioned.

DECEPTION - is an act of deceiving or misleading which is usually accomplished by lying.

LYING - as commonly used in our study, is the uttering or conveying falsehood or creating
a false or misleading impression with the intention of wrongfully affecting the acts, opinion
or affection of another. It can be accomplished either by:
1. verbal terms spoken by the mouth;
2. acts, feigns, ruses or other means by which man maybe able to get the
desired results through marks and symbols.

DETECTION - is the act of discovering the existence or presence of something hidden or

obscured.

EMOTION - is the complex state of feelings, involving conscious experience, internal and
external physical responses, and power to motivate the organism to action.

STIMULUS - is the force or motion reaching the organism from the environment and
excites the receptors.

REACTION - is any activity aroused in an organism by a stimulus, which is of mental

processes.

RESPONSE - is any reaction, usually of muscular or glandular processes, that depends

on stimulation.

SPECIFIC RESPONSE - is one that is exhibited by the Subject to a particular question,,

which is a deviation from his norm.

SUBJECT - as often used in our discussion, refers to any person undergoing polygraph
examination. He maybe a suspect, the complainant, the witness, the victim or the
relative of the victim or suspect (in case of criminal investigation or interrogation), or he
maybe an aspiring job applicant (in case of employment in the government or private
institution) undergoing screening through loyalty check or integrity test.
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POLYGRAPH EXAMINER/ POLYGRAPHIST/ or merely EXAMINER/ EXPERT - is the

one conducting the Polygraph Test or Examination.

POLYGRAPH TEST, or POLYGRAPH EXAMINATION - is the whole process of

questioning or the taking of one chart from a series of questions or all of the charts and
question sheets used in the test.

POLYGRAPH CHART/ POLYGRAM, or simply CHART/ GRAPH - refers to the recorded

tracings of all the emotional patterns permanently on the Charts or Graphs from series of
questions.

SOME KNOWN METHODS OF DECEPTION DETECTION

The following are the known methods of deception detection, thus:

A. Ancient Methods
B. Observation Methods
C. Regular Police Methods
D. Hypnotism
E. Word-Association Test
F. Truth-Serum Test/ Intoxication
G. Polygraph Test Technique

A. The Ancient Methods:

1. The Red-Hot Iron Ordeal - (the placing of hot iron onto the tongue of suspects and
guilt is established when tongue gets burn or blister); the Basis: Salivary Secretion –
if tongue is dry, suspect is guilty as dryness is a sign of nervousness;
2. Ordeal of the Balance - (by balancing of stick on the lever, or by balancing through
walking on rods or ropes); the Basis: Body incoherence or failure to balance is
indicative of guilt due to trembling and fear reaction;
3. Boiling Water Ordeal - (by plunging the suspect’s feet in to the giant pot full of
boiling water); the Basis: Sweating of body enhances blisters and burns; if suspect
gets burned, he is guilty, as guilt is indicated due to sweating and nervousness;
4. Water Test Ordeal - (staying in the water for several “suns” and “moons”); the
Basis: Fear reaction wears down body resistance due to nervousness and guilt
therefore is noted.
5. The Smell-Out Technique - (an African method through “smelling-out” of foul odors);
the Basis: Sweating causes body odor and guilt is determined when foul odor is
exhibited due to extreme fear and nervousness;
6. The Sacred Ass Ordeal - (as practiced by the Hindus of India, wherein a cow or an
ass is secretly placed inside a closed and very dark room, and suspects are told to
enter said room one at a time to touch the tail of the cow; if the cow would make a
loud sound, then said suspect is deemed guilty); the Basis: Un-blackened hand is a
sign of guilt, merely psychological;
7. Other known common practices, such as:
a. Rice-Chewing
b. Palm-Reading
c. Card-reading
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d. Winnow & Scissors

e. Spirit of the Glass
f. Etc.

B. The Observation Methods:

1. Through Facial Expressions, such as:

a. Blushing, paling, or profuse sweating of forehead;
b. Dilation of the eyes, protrusion of eyeballs, and elevation of upper eyelids;
c. Squinting of the eyes (showing envy, disdain, distrust, etc.);
d. Twitching of the lips;
e. Excessive winking of eyes;
f. Failure to look the inquirer “straight into the eye”;
g. Excessive activity of the Adam’s apple and the vein at the temple due to
dryness of throat and mouth;
h. Quivering of Nose or Nostrils;
i. A peculiar monotone of the voice;
j. A forced laugh;
k. Rolling of eyeballs from one direction to another;

2. Through Postural Reactions, such as:

a. Fidgeting, tapping, or drumming of fingers on the chair or other surfaces;
b. Swinging of legs, or of one leg over the other;
c. Unnecessary movements of hands and feet (like scratching, nail-biting,
thumb- or finger-sucking, etc.);
d. Pulsation of the carotid artery in the neck;
e. Incoherence, trembling and sweating of the whole body;

3. Through Cause-And-Effect Process, such as:

a. Stimulus-Reaction test;
b. Stimulus-Response test;

C. Regular Police Methods:

This method sought to answer the legal investigation processes to the following:
1. The “Five Wives & One Husband” (or the “5 W’s & 1 H”) which stand for –
What? Who? When? Where? Why? and How?

2. The “Three Eyes” (or “3 I’s”) which stand for –

a. Information Gathering, through Records check, Surveillance, Background
Investigation, and Intelligence check;
b. Investigation, through Interview & Interrogation, and through Confession &
Admission;
c. Instrumentation (or Criminalistics or Police Sciences), through the different
investigative (or forensic) sciences, such as:
c.1. Medico-Legal or Forensic Medicine
c.2. Forensic Chemistry & Toxicology
c.3. Forensic (or Police, or Investigative) Photography
c.4. Forensic Ballistics (or Firearms Identification)
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c.5. Questioned Document Examination

c.6. Dactyloscopy (or Forensic Fingerprinting)
c.7. Police (or Investigative) Communication
c.8. Polygraphy (Lie-Detection Test or Deceptography)

(NOTE: Determine the difference between Interview and Interrogation), thus:

INTERVIEW vs. INTERROGATION

1. Nature is voluntary. 1. Process is compulsory.

2. Witness may or may not answer questions. 2. Suspect should answer the questions.
3. Mode: Merely asking of questions. 3. Technique: Questions should be propoun-
ded to the Suspect.
4. Answers or statements may be necessary to 4. Answers are very important either as
the case, or not. Confession or Admission.
5. Subjects are often victims or witnesses. 5. Subjects are always the Suspects.

(NOTE: Determine the difference between Admission and Confession), thus:

ADMISSION vs. CONFESSION

It is a self-incriminatory statement of facts It is a declaration of facts directly acknowledg-

by the accused, that does not directly ing the truth of the guilt as charged, or of
acknowledge the offense committed, with some essential part of the commission of the
which he is being charged. criminal act itself.

D. Hypnotism Method:

FRANZ (FRIEDRICH) ANTON MESMER (1734-1815), an Austrian Mystic and

Physician; born on May 23, 1734 at Iznang, a village near Lake Constance, Austria, was
the first to introduce hypnotism as a method of deception detection in 1778. He believed
in animal magnetism, by which his own personal electro-magnetism for therapeutic effect
influenced other persons. Actually, these effects he produced were attributed to the state
of mind of the Subject whereby he is induce, and thereby instructed to sit quietly and
gaze at a flashing light or shiny object dangled before his eyes, and to cooperate with
whatever the hypnotist would like him to do. In this case, conscious cooperation by the
Subject is a must.

The basis of hypnotism is through the recovered memory by the use of increased
dissociated functions, hyper-amnesia, and at times regressive and para-regressive
experiences. The Subject, who is not actually asleep, but at complete comfortable state
of relaxation and that he would be doing whatever the hypnotist may tell him to do.
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E. Word-Association Test Method:

Here is another method of deception detection, which was introduced in 1879 by

Sir FRANCIS GALTON (1822-1911), an English Scientist Explorer and Anthropometrist,,
born on Feb. 16, 1822 at Sparkbrook, Birmingham, London, and the cousin of the famous
Charles Darwin. Later on, Dr. CARL GUSTAV JUNG (1875-1961), A Swiss Psychologist,
Psychiatrist, and Founder of the Analytical Psychology (born on July 26, 1875 at Basel,
Zwitzerland) developed Galton’s works and experiments.

Accordingly, this process is being done by giving the Subject a long list of care-
fully selected stimulus words or objects with other pictures interspersed with other
irrelevant words, objects or pictures with the instructions to respond with the very first
word that may come to Subject’s mind.

Dr. Jung was able to observe how the thinking reactions were linked into the emo-
tional habit of his Subject. The theory behind this method is that, one word or idea is
reflective of another word or idea and the expression of their association forms a
meaningful picture.

F. Truth-Serum Test/ Intoxication Method:

The so-called “Truth-Serum” Test was a method introduced by Dr. EDWARD

MANDEL HOUSE (1858-1938), a U.S. Physicist and Diplomat, serving as Confidential
Adviser to former U.S. Pres. Woodrow Wilson, (born on July 26, 1858 at Ferris, Texas, USA).
This method involved the intravenous injection or oral-taking of various drugs, such as
hyocine bromide, morphine, ether, chloroform, sodium amytal and scopolamine, which may
produce a condition of anesthesia. There must be an immediate need for a physician to be
present during the test so that the application of these drugs be properly determined and
supervised to produce required results.

Accordingly, this method is based on the theory, that intervention through interro-
gation, is made possible after the dosage of any of these drugs has been appropriately
administered, which depresses the cerebral activity to a point of unconsciousness, an
influence called as the “House Receptive Stage” or the “Twilight Zone”. The objective of the
test is to extract from the subconscious mind, as the Subject himself is “half-asleep”, the
stored contents of the mind called “Memory”. It has been said, that if correct dosage is
administered and the expected influence resulted, the Subject will answer by experiencing
temporary removal of his will-power, self-preservation instinct and the reasoning power. He
may disclose everything without evasiveness.

Of all the deception detection methods, the “Truth-Serum” test is considered most
favorably effective if all the conditions proper to the conduct of the test must be observed.
However, its effectiveness is upset by several objections raised as to its application. These
objections are as follows:

1. Was the test performed by a skilled operator, technician, or physician?

2. Was the dosage of the drugs administered necessary to produce desires results?
3. Was there an appropriate amount of time consumed in the test?
4. Was there certainty of results to determine truth from deception?
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Statements taken from the Subject through this process is not admissible as
evidence in court because its very nature is involuntary, but its application to criminal
investigation is rather very useful due to its psychological effect, before, during and even
after. Just as well, a person not knowing the fallacies of the test may even, before the test,
tell the factual truth to avoid pain of needles and brain destruction.

Intoxication: This method employs alcoholic beverages as stimuli to obtain truth. The
person or Subject whose statement is to be taken is allowed to take alcoholic beverages to
intoxication level or point. When under the influence of alcohol, the power to control the body
is diminished and the investigator begins propounding questions.

Interrogation must be made only during the excitatory effect of the alcohol.
During this stage, therein noted is the sensation of well-being and actions. Speech and
emotions are less strained due to the lowering of the inhibition normally exercised by the
higher brain centers. There is eventually lack of self-control. When the Subject is already in
the depressive state due to excess of alcohol intake, he will not be able to answer questions
anymore, and perhaps he would fell asleep.

Confession made by a Subject while intoxicated is admissible if he is physically

able to recollect the facts and state them truly and exactly, even after the influence or the
“spirit of alcohol” has disappeared. But in most instances, the Subject cannot recall his
utterances or usually refuses to admit the truth of the statement given.

G. The Polygraph Test Technique:

This method is based on the theory that, once a lie has been made, or that an
emotion-evoking stimulus (question) has been given, a conscious mental effort on the part of
a normally conditioned person will cause physical and physiological changes in the body.
These changes likewise are capable of being recorded, diagnosed and interpreted in the
recording instrument called the “Polygraph”, “Deceptograph”, or “Pneumo-Galvo-Sphygmo-
Cardio-Graph”.

In this method, the Subject is comfortably seated on a chair, and then the blood-
pressure cuff, the pneumograph tubes and the finger electrodes are attached unto his body.
With the instrument set in motion, bodily changes or responses, such as Respiration, Blood-
pressure/ pulse rates and the electrical properties of the skin or the galvanic-skin-reflex
(GSR) are recorded by the instrument. The Subject is instructed to remain quite, obey
directions and answer all questions truthfully by either “Yes” or “No”!

Test questions propounded to the Subject are to be formulated by the Examiner,

which are relatively important to the case under investigation. They have to be formulated in
such a way that they should give corresponding emotional responses that maybe readily
recorded on the polygraph charts or graphs. Then afterwards, the chart test results shall be
studied, read or interpreted by the Examiner to determine whether or not his Subject lied!

If in case the Subject is found to have lied to all, if not some, of the questions, he
has to be confronted. A re-run of questioning by inter-changing series of questions previously
asked must be made to check or counter-check specific responses recorded. If subject lied
to a particular question, any admission or confession to that effect should be given due
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consideration and must be put in writing, subject to further investigation by the Polygraph
Examiner himself or the police Investigator assigned on case.

Should Subject be found telling the truth, otherwise, the Examiner must submit
official report to the requesting party.

In a way, the lie-detector test plays an important role in Criminal Investigation, as

it helps Police Officers, Investigators or Detectives determined their Subjects integrity,
honesty, and sincerity. Lastly, investigative leads are often the results of this type of tests.

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF LYING

Remember that lying person fears detection and possible ostracism by the
offended community. He may feel that once detection, he could not but accept the bitter
results of being penalized, thus placing his whole life at stake.
Since fear reaction carries emotional responses due to detection, he may now exhibit
external and internal physical and physiological changes within him, such that these changes
occur beyond his defensive power to control or repress them. These changes, on the other
hand, are recorded by the polygraph instrument and diagnosed by the Examiner.

But what is always driving a person to lie? What is behind all these?

The answer is the PSYCHOLOGY of a LYING PERSON. A person’s fears,,

anxieties and apprehensions are channeled toward the situation that evoke his instinct of
self-preservation to struggle out from the consequences of the wrong he has already done.
He may, once and for all, “grind-the axe” of his self-defense mechanism come what may
through lies, alibis and excuses. His conscience is bothered so much on how to hide
everything beyond his own senses. And his will power and emotions are perplexed and
varied.

In polygraphy, the psychological approach to all these lies or similar situations are
governed by the different types of test and control questions prepared and formulated by the
Examiner. The test contains relevant questions which are designed to pose a threat to the
security of the guilty (or lying) Subject, and control questions designed to pose a threat to the
security of the innocent (or truthful) Subject. The equally truthful Subject, though accused, is
assured of the reactions he may exhibit during the whole polygraph examination by the
carefully formulated questions.

Other factors psychologically taken into consideration are Subject’s basic

emotionality and intensity of the offense. Normally, the innocent Subject’s reaction potential is
lower than that of the guilty Subject. A temporary heightening of his emotional state when the
examination began registers this. Then such reaction decreases as the test itself progresses.

In understanding more of the psychologically of lying, we are tempted to include

the study of the different kinds of LIES, which are as follows:

KINDS OF LIES
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1. WHITE LIE OR BENIGN LIE

This is the kind of lie, the most common of all, which is intended to protect or maintain
of friendship, at home, in the office or elsewhere.

Example: Peter’s Denial: The distorted formulation of rules and regulations in some
companies in order to protect and secure own products from any outside competing forces.

2. PATHOLOGICAL LIE
This is a lie made by persons who cannot distinguish right from wrong. It must by said
that those persons are mentally sick, or of low mental caliber. In Polygraphy, impairment of
the mind must be established first before conducting any lie-detector test; otherwise the
whole test will be useless. Pathological liars are among those classified as Barriers and
Obstacles to Lie-Detection with the aid of the Polygraph.

3. RED LIE
This involves political interests and motives because this is part of Communist
propaganda strategy. This lie is prevalent in communist countries or communist-infested
nations. Lies of this sort purport to destroy other ideologies by means of propaganda-brain-
washing and black-mail via espionage and treason.

4. BLACK LIE
A lie which accompanies pretensions and hypocrisies, intriguing to cause dishonor or
discredit one’s good image. (An example is the person who always pretends what he thinks
of himself, what kind of person he is, and what he is doing.)

5. MALICIOUS or JUDICIOUS LIE

This is a very pure and unjustifiable kind of lie. This is intended purely to mislead
justice. The probable result would be “PERJURY” and pure dishonesty to obstruct justice!
Some liar lawyers and false witnesses fall under this category.

UNDERSTANDING SUBJECT’S AGE CHARACTERISTICS

To further enhance the study of the psychology of the lying person, it is also
necessary to understand Subject’s age characteristics, which are as follows:

 7 to 12 years .......... Fantastic Subject.

 13 to 19 years .......... Distinction of fantasy and reality. At this level, the Subject is at
the age of limitation and idolatry. His/her ego may start to develop.
 20 to 25 years .......... His/her ego begins to lessen because he/she thinks he/she is
not important person. Subjects like him are idealistic and be-principled. They
become responsible and sometimes conscious of their neighbors. The girls may
begin to marry at this age, and they become sociable. The degree of their
exposure to society depends on how they were brought up socially, morally and
spiritually, including family, friend and other individual influences.
 26 to 60 years .......... They serve as best witnesses. They often possess
materialism, maturity and responsibility. Intellect is fully developed and
intelligence is well coordinated with memory.
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 61 to Death ............ Their memories are fading because some of their senses are
defective. They are no longer good witnesses. The need perspective because
they may start to act like children (senility). They are irritable and sensitive.

SOME SIGNS OF LIES AND DECEPTIONS

Generally, when a person becomes defensive due to fear of detection, one can
point out that any of the signs herein enumerated indicates lies, guilt or deception, such as:

1. Stammering
2. Swearing to or before God that he did not commit the crime
3. Pointing his guilt to somebody else
4. Subject refuses to answer questions through alibis and excuses
5. He is all the time absent-minded
6. He is always requesting for repetition of questions
7. He often asks counter-questions and counter-queries
8. He often asks permission to go to the comfort-rooms, etc.

EMOTIONS

Inasmuch as the study of Lie-Detection involves PSYCHOLOGY, the science of

behavior, it is but imperative that we include the study of Emotions, as such is a wide-range
process, almost affecting every organ or part of the body, nearly all of the Respiratory,
Circulatory, Nervous and Excretory or the electrical properties of the skin. Directly relating to
Lie-Detection, consciousness of guilt engenders a fear reaction (which is an emotion itself)!

Therefore, if an individual is guilty, he will respond emotionally to questions related to

his crime. It is true and impossible that such an individual, being aware of his emotion (his
fear reaction, that is) can suppress the same by inhibiting voluntary external responses (that
is, by controlling outward signs of bodily responses indicative of guilt, such as paleness,
dryness of the mouth, nervousness, etc). Yet, he cannot control his internal physiological
changes brought about by his fear reaction, especially his blood pressure and heart actions,
his respiration rates and his galvanic-skin-reflex (or the G.S.R.) producing sweats and sweat
skin resistance.

THREE ASPECTS OF EMOTION

1. Emotion as CONSCIOUS EXPERIENCE: This concerns human feelings in response

to a wide variety of inner and outer stimuli, which are of paramount importance to our
personal and social adjustment. This involves every emotional experiences of man such as:
Anger, Elation, Delight, Affection, Fear, Annoyance, Worry, Dejection, Jealousy, Envy,
Frustration and Shame.
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2. Emotion as MOTIVES: This involves human behavior with motivating factors, or a

power directing one’s behavior towards (or facilitating) or away (or interfering) from objects
and person in his environment.

a) Emotional Motive as Facilitating Behavior: Ex.: Destruction, Attack, Fight, Assault

or Offend.
b) Emotional Motive as Interfering Behavior: Ex.: Retreat, Flight, Surrender, Hide or
Defend.

3. Emotion as RESPONSES: This concerns bodily reaction, usually muscular or

glandular process, which may either be external or internal ones. It is in this third aspect that
the Polygraph Examiner has to keep his eyes wide open to all the information regarding
emotional responses. The theory of Polygraphy is based primarily upon this aspect!

a) External Responses: These responses are very much observable even without
the aid of any emotion-stress recording instrument. Good examples of these
responses as indicative of guilt or deception are those which are enumerated on
Page 4 (under the Observation Methods) of this hand-out.

b) Internal Responses: Scientifically known as “Visceral” responses, these are the

responses of the internal organs of the following systems and properties of the
human body:

b.1) The Nervous System – which controls the neural transmissions, including
glands, muscular tissues and the nerves connecting the brain and other
parts of the body;

b.2) The Respiratory System – which takes care of the breathing cycles;

b.3) The Circulatory System – which regulates the heart actions, blood-pressure
blood volumes, and pulse-rates;

b.4) The Excretory System – (or the Electro-dermal properties of the skin which
facilitate the electrical phenomena of the Galvanic-Skin-Reflex (or the GSR)
including their resistance and brain potentials.
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