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ADDITIONAL TOPICS
When a person lies or is asked a sensitive question, his or her heart may begin to race, raising the body's blood pressure. The test subject may also hold his or her breath, take in a deep breath, or begin to sweat. These physiological irregularities are detected by the polygraph and interpreted by the polygraph examiner. It is the province of the examiner to decide whether or not sudden changes in the data signify dishonesty. The assumptions that lying will produce physiological changes and that polygraph examiners will be able to interpret these signs accurately have raised questions about the accuracy of the polygraph. What if a test subject does not exhibit abnormal physiological signs while lying? Can human errors occur in the polygraph interpretation process? Indeed, polygraph testing is not an exact science, and there is certainly margin for error in the interpretation of the three metrics.
MEASUREMENTS
Blood Pressure and Heart Rate Data Blood pressure and heart rate data are collected by an armencircling cuf f placed on the upper arm. The cuf f is filled with air and connected to the polygraph machine through air-filled tubes. Changes in blood pressure modulates the air pressure in the cuff. These changes are recorded by the polygraph machine and displayed on a computer screen. This data is simultaneously displayed with respiratory and perspiratory data on a computer monitor, and all are interpreted by the polygraph examiner.
MEASUREMENTS
Respiratory Data The respiration pattern of the subject is detected by two pneumograph, devices which record thoracic movements, or volume change during respiration. One of the pneumograph tubes is strapped around the chest and the other is placed around the abdomen. Each pneumograph has an air-filled rubber tube connected to the machine. When the subject breathes in and out, the air pressure inside the tubing changes and is recorded by the polygraph machine.
MEASUREMENTS
Perspiratory Data The measurement of sweat, which is scientifically known as the measurement of galvanic skin resistance, is conducted by a twopiece galvanometer attached to two of the subject's fingertips. The galvanometer works by sending a small electric current into the skin from one of the fingerplates and records how much current was allowed to pass through on the other fingerplate. Dry skin is not a very good conductor of electricity. If a subject perspires, however, the water and salt from the sweat reduces the resistance of the skin. This decrease in resistance allows a larger amount of electric current to travel along the surface of the skin. Therefore, the amount of electric current recorded by the galvanometer reflects the amount of sweat that was produced in the subject's fingertips.
NEW TECHNOLOGIES
There are new technologies that can be used for lie detection. One is the facial thermal imaging, a technology that maps facial blood flow. When a person lies, he or she often becomes anxious and excessive blood flows to areas around the eyes. This blood flow can be detected by a thermal imaging screener. Lasers have been developed to detect muscular, circulatory, and other bodily changes assumed to be associated with the anxiety of lying. Some computer programs claim the ability to detect lies by analyzing the voice and tone of a speaker.
NEW TECHNOLOGIES
According to their inventors, "when a person lies, an involuntary interference of the nerves causes the vocal cords to produce a distorted sound wave, namely a frequency level which is different from the one produced by the same person when telling the truth". One company has even developed a lie-detecting keyboard, which is claimed to be able to detect lies when a person types into a computer by analyzing typing patterns, sensing moisture in fingertips, recording body heat, and monitoring how fast the fingers were moving when they hit the keyboard.
CONCLUSION
The polygraph is a device that seeks to accurately and reliably detect lies - an ability that humans have sought to develop throughout the centuries. However, due to its inherently subjective nature, the use of the polygraph is surrounded with controversy. Regardless, the polygraph does serve as an instructive tool for government authorities and law enforcement agencies. With technological advancements, humans will be able to better correlate the psychological state of lying with physiological responses.
REFERENCES
http://illumin.usc.edu/43/lie-detection-thescience-and-development-of-the-polygraph/