Polygraph exams or lie detectors, often known as lie detectors, have long been used in criminal investigations, federal agency hiring processes, and even in popular culture representations of stressful interrogations. Although we have been using this machine for truth verification services for decades now, the point of its accuracy has always been a question mark.
Research from science constantly demonstrates that polygraphs are far from excellent which raises the issue of why law enforcement and other government organizations keep using them so regularly. How accurate is a polygraph test? Is one of the most commonly asked questions. In this guide, we will explore various studies and pieces of information shared by polygraph experts to help us understand more clearly about this machine.
The Reasons Lie Detectors Don’t Work: The Science Behind Lie Detectors
Polygraph tests also known as lie detectors work by measuring the physiological responses such as the heart beat rate, respiration rate, blood pressure, skin conductivity, and sweating all these are recorded when the questions are being asked to the subject.
Experts such as Leonard Saxe, who is a psychologist at Brandeis University with a wide range of experience in polygraph research say that there is no specific physiological response that is reliably connected to lying.
The “lack of physiology of a lie” simply states that the ability of the polygraph machine to accurately detect if a person is being truthful or deceptive has been compromised fundamentally.
Leonard Saxe further mentioned, “Almost a century of research in scientific psychology and physiology provides little basis for the expectation that a polygraph test could have extremely high accuracy.”
From the above statement, we can understand that the polygraph machine has the power to identify deceptive answers but at the same time, it can also unfortunately accuse a truthful person of lying based on the physiological measurement. Through the readings that have been taken from various studies, we can understand from the controlled studies that have revealed that polygraphs often label honest people as dishonest, even while they may identify liars at rates greater than chance. Scientific organizations such as the National Research Council have expressed strong disapproval of polygraphs due to their intrinsic unreliability, claiming that there is inadequate proof to support high-accuracy polygraphs.
The persistent use of polygraph tests:
Although we are aware of the established unreliability factor of the polygraph tests it may come as a shock to many individuals about the continuity of widely being used especially in high-stakes settings such as criminal investigations, and the federal employment screenings. There are so many reasons why polygraph services are in huge demand despite various shreds of evidence being thrown against their efficacy and reliability.
One of the most important key reasons is the power of perception. This is based on psychological factors so in various cases whether or not the polygraph test works matters what matters the most is whether the subject believes it to be true or not. In the hands of law enforcement belief is a very powerful tool. Several interrogations such as the placement of the polygraph machine create a very intimidating environment that makes the subject feel that their lies are going to be exposed. Apparently, due to this, the subject starts to show signs of distress and eventually ends up being portrayed as not being truthful. This psychological effect will make the subject confess their statements which makes the polygraph machine a very valuable prop in the interrogation process.
The polygraph machine’s supposed deterrence impact is another justification for its ongoing usage. To monitor sexual offenders, for example, some probation authorities employ polygraphs because they think the threat of constant precise lie detection may deter criminals from perpetrating new crimes. In this case, the test’s ability to discourage illegal activity is more important than its actual accuracy.
However, there are a few polygraph examiners who believe the examinations they administer to be accurate. A basic human desire for justice and order is supplemented by a need to trust in a world in which disinformation may be decisively exposed. These investigators view the polygraph as a tool, but they also see it as a way to preserve cultural standards related to ethical and moral conduct.
The ethical and legal implications:
Polygraph’s inability to produce reliable and accurate results is known to all but although people are aware of this fact the constant use of polygraph use in certain areas has raised certain important ethical and legal questions in the minds of people.
During the year 1988, a law was passed in the United States for private employers to ban the use of polygraph tests for screening employees because of the issues related to reliability and reflecting concerns for the test. Ten years later, the Supreme Court disapproved of the use of polygraph testimony in some federal courts, pointing out that there was insufficient agreement over its trustworthiness.
Several loopholes remain. Probation officers, Federal agencies, and law enforcement agencies still use polygraphs in several cases. For instance, the National Research Council has advised against placing disproportionate trust in polygraphs as a means of achieving national security targets, especially when employed to select applicants for sensitive roles.
Conclusion:
The constant use of in several United States cities such as polygraph services in Oklahoma has raised a lot of concern in the minds of people because of the flawed methods conducted to run this test which makes the reading not so accurate. So are we supposed to believe someone based on this test? The answer differs from one person to another.
Although, “how accurate is a polygraph test” remains one of the most critical questions that need to be answered nobody can ever state their opinions as 100% factual or wrong. However, since the polygraph machine or the lie detector still brings people to confess to their mistakes or crimes, this tool stands out in restoring justice and morality in society. It will be best for everybody if this tool is used with caution, understanding the limitations and flaws associated with it.
