Hello, people, and Welcome back to Oklahoma Judicial Process Server . I am happy to have both new and old subscribers here. I’m Makayla, and today, polygraph examiners share 5 things that could cause false positives or false negatives on polygraph tests. Keep on watching to get all the information that you need. Don’t forget that, for the best legal, polygraph, and private investigation services in Oklahoma, call us at (405) 593-3515, and you will be glad you did.
Introduction to the case
Polygraph tests are popular in many fields like law enforcement, national security, employment screening, etc. It is known as a lie detector test because the results of the polygraph tests help people detect deception. Polygraph tests work by measuring physiological responses, such as heart rate, blood pressure, respiration rate, and skin conductivity when a person who is undergoing the polygraph tests answers questions that are asked. When they lie, there is an increased physiological activity. However, these test results are not foolproof because they can produce false positives or false negatives. Let us get into the causes of these false positives and false negatives in lie detection tests.
1. Anxiety and Stress
The first thing that can cause a false positive or false negative is when the person who is undergoing the polygraph test is anxious or stressed. When they are undergoing this anxiety or stress, their blood pressure and heart rate are elevated, which means that their physiological responses to the questions asked can be inaccurate. The reason this is so is that the polygraph test is designed to detect changes in physiological responses that are associated with deception, but anxiety and stress can also cause these changes. So, individuals who are about to undergo a lie detection test must be comfortable and relaxed so that polygraph examiners will get accurate results.
2. Medical Conditions
An individual who has heart conditions, high blood pressure, or respiratory problems may exhibit physiological responses that are misinterpreted as deception, which in turn affects the accuracy of the polygraph test results. Also, individuals who have neurological disorders will find it difficult, if not impossible, to control their physiological responses to the questions they are asked, leading to false positives or false negatives. The best polygraph examiners ensure that they ask subjects of lie detector tests if they have medical conditions that will affect the polygraph test results before administering the test.
3. Medications and Substances
The third thing that affects the accuracy of polygraph test results is certain substances and medications. Stimulants, such as caffeine and nicotine, have been proven to increase physiological responses, leading to false positives. Additionally, sedatives and antidepressants can decrease physiological responses, leading to false negatives. So, before any individual undergoes a polygraph test, they should be asked if they have taken any drugs. If yes, what kind of drugs? Having answers to these questions helps the polygraph examiner to know if the test results will be accurate or not, and they will also take these answers into account when they are interpreting the polygraph test results.
4. Cultural and Language Barriers
Polygraph test results can produce false positives and false negatives because of cultural and language barriers. Individuals from different cultural backgrounds may exhibit different physiological responses to stress and anxiety, which can be misinterpreted as deception. These individuals can also misunderstand the questions they are asked, which leads to the lie detector tests being affected. Before the lie detector tests, polygraph examiners should be sensitive to cultural and language differences and take steps to ensure that the individual understands the test and its procedures.
5. Examiner Bias
Another thing that can cause false positives or negatives is the bias of the polygraph examiner. Polygraph examiners are human beings, and just like everybody, they have biases and preconceptions that can influence their interpretation of the test results. A common example is that a polygraph examiner may think that the individual who will undergo the polygraph examination is deceptive. So, when interpreting the results, they may be more likely to interpret the results as indicating deception, even if the data is ambiguous. It is best to hire a polygraph examiner who has a history of being objective and impartial throughout the testing process to prevent inaccurate test results.
Conclusion
Polygraph tests although it helps in determining if a person is telling the truth or not, it is not fully reliable because of the issue of false positives and false negatives. When olygragh examiners are aware of what can cause these false positives and false negatives, they can take stes to prevent them and ensure that the lie detector test results are accurate and reliable. People that will also undergo these polygraph tests should be aware of these causes and work towards preventing them. At OKC Private Investigations & Process Server in Oklahoma, we see the Importance of getting the best private polygraph services and polygraph tests you can get. So, for more insights or our services, visit us at www.oklahomajudicialprocessservers.com you can email us at Info@ojpslegal.com.
