Polygraph Testing

Get the true facts, get assurance

You can be the best judge of character in the world, but when you're talking with a practiced liar who's motivated to deceive you, you can look them straight in the eye and never have a clue that they're not telling the truth. That is, until its too late. Don't take chances on relying solely on your instincts. We offer a full range of polygraph testing services that we can administer in your office or at your location.

Polygraph, Lie Detector, Psychophysiological Detection of Deception.

A polygraph, also known as a lie detector, and psychophysiological detection of deception (PDD) examination, is an instrument that measures and records several physiological functions, such as, blood pressure, pulse, respiration, and skin conductivity. The subject is asked and answers a series of questions, in the belief that deceptive answers will produce psychophysiological responses that can be differentiated from those associated with non-deceptive answers.

The polygraph examination begins with a pre-test interview to elicit information which will later be used to formulate “control questions, relevant questions, and irrelevant questions.” This initial interview is where the examiner must be extremely sensitive to the examinee’s background, culture and education, so as to understand the logical reasoning of the subject.

The examiner will explain how the polygraph instrument works, shows the examinee actual polygraph chart tracings, identifies psychophysiological responses on the chart tracings, and emphasizes the importance of answering the questions truthfully. When the examinee fully understands the procedure, and all of his, or, her questions are answered by the examiner, the question formulation begins.

With the full understanding of the questions to be used and the agreement by both the examinee and examiner to use the relevant questions, the examination begins. Upon completion of the test, the chart tracings are marked and scored, shown to the examinee with a full explanation of the results. A report containing the results with the examiner’s opinion is then given to the examinee.

The Employee Polygraph Protection Act of 1988 prevents employers from using polygraph for pre-employment screening or during employment; however, there are certain exceptions. In the United States, the State of New Mexico admits polygraph testing before juries in certain circumstances. In many other states, polygraph examiners are permitted to testify before judges in various cases, such as the revocation of probation. Many law enforcement agencies and intelligence agencies in the United States utilize polygraph. Polygraph testimony has been admitted by stipulation in approximately 19 states, and in federal court was subject to the discretion of the trial judge. While extensively used in post conviction sex offender cases, no one can be forced to take a polygraph examination. In 1998 The U.S. Supreme Court left it up to individual jurisdictions whether polygraph results could be used as evidence in court cases. In the case of spying, polygraph is more often used as a deterrent to espionage rather than detection. Failing a polygraph test could cause revocation of a security clearance; however, it is inadmissible evidence in most federal courts and military courts martial. In Afghanistan, the U.S. Department of Defense uses a Preliminary Credibility Assessment Screening System, or PCASS, which gathers less physiological information than a polygraph, and uses an algorithm, not the judgment of a polygraph examiner, to determine whether it believes the person is being deceptive or not. Polygraph is used in many states for sexual offenders on probation, or parole, and often during rehabilitation of convicted sex offenders. The U.S. Federal appeals courts also upheld polygraph testing of sexual offenders on probation.