If you are involved in a sex crime investigation you may be asked to take a polygraph test (lie detector). Generally speaking, people should not agree to such tests unless their criminal defense attorney advises them to.
Innocent people can fail a polygraph test simply because of nervousness. Additionally, drugs and medical conditions can skew results.
Accuracy
A lie detector test, also known as a polygraph, measures physiological changes in the body, such as heartbeat, perspiration, and blood pressure, in order to detect anxiety induced by lying. These tests are used by law enforcement agencies, business owners, and even lovers to determine whether their partner is telling the truth.
Many people try to beat a lie detector test, but it is not easy. Most methods do not work and can actually make the results worse. The most effective way to beat a polygraph is to practice and get trained.
Although it is possible to beat a lie detector, it requires a lot of work and training. There are also some medical conditions that should prevent you from taking a polygraph, such as nerve damage (including essential tremor), seizures, and heart disease. There are some drugs that can cause you to be excluded as well. It is also not recommended to take a lie detector test while pregnant.I recommend this website for more Lie Detector Test.
Legality
The theory behind polygraph tests is that a person’s body has certain reactions when they are lying. For example, their pulse will speed up and they may sweat more than usual. However, this is not always the case. Even people who are completely innocent will have these responses if they’re nervous or stressed out in general. For this reason, many courts have ruled that these test results are not admissible in court.
In addition, the police cannot force you to take a polygraph test. They can only ask you if you agree to it and they must provide Miranda warnings before administering the test.
While it may seem tempting to take a polygraph to prove your innocence, you should never volunteer for one. You should only take a polygraph after consulting with an experienced criminal defense attorney. In fact, some guilty people in notorious cases – such as Green River killer Gary Ridgway and Russian mole Aldrich Ames – have passed the test.
Safety
Many people hear about or see lie detector tests on the silver screen, but they are not as accurate as some may think. There are a number of ways that someone can manipulate the results to their advantage. Even if you are completely innocent of the crime being investigated, a polygraph test can be inaccurate and cause you to fail.
These tests measure physiological responses to questions that might indicate a person is lying, including blood pressure, heart rate and sweating. However, they can also measure physiological reactions to non-relevant questions or questions that are not likely to be asked when someone is telling the truth.
Innocent people can easily fail these tests simply because they are nervous to take them. Even known liars like the Green River Killer and Soviet mole Aldrich Ames have been able to beat these tests by following simple advice, such as getting a good night’s sleep and being nice to the examiner.
Taking a lie detector test
Whether you are a suspect in a criminal case or just being questioned by police, the first thing you should do is consult with an attorney before agreeing to take a lie detector test. Known as polygraph tests, these machines monitor blood pressure, heart rate, perspiration and other reactions while the person is asked questions. They are used by police and criminal investigators, employers, and even lovers to determine truthfulness in relationships. Wired reports that almost a century of scientific research on human physiology and psychology provides little evidence to support the claim that these devices detect lies.
The theory behind a polygraph is that people’s bodies respond to lying with specific physical responses, such as increased heart rate, blood pressure and perspiration. It is possible, however, to fake these responses. In addition, the pre and post-test interviews that accompany a polygraph test can be used as evidence against you in court. You are not obligated to take a polygraph test, and it is usually not in your best interests to do so.
