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polygraph
Sign in to saveAlso known as lie detector, lie detector test
thumb|American inventor Leonarde Keeler testing his improved polygraph on [[Arthur Koehler, a former witness for the prosecution at the 1935 trial of Richard Hauptmann]] A polygraph, often incorrectly referred to as a lie detector test, is a pseudoscientific device or procedure that measures and records several physiological indicators such as blood pressure, pulse, respiration, and skin conductivity while a person is asked and answers a series of questions. The belief underpinning the use of the polygraph is that deceptive answers will produce physiological responses that can be differentiate
~36 min read
Article
25 sectionsContents
- Testing procedure
- Effectiveness
- US Congress Office of Technology Assessment
- National Academy of Sciences
- Countermeasures
- Use
- Armenia
- Australia
- Canada
- Europe
- India
- Israel
- Philippines
- United States
- Security clearances
- Alternative tests
- History
- Society and culture
- Portrayals in media
- Hand-held lie detector for US military
- Notable cases
- See also
- References
- Further reading
- External links
thumb|American inventor Leonarde Keeler testing his improved polygraph on [[Arthur Koehler, a former witness for the prosecution at the 1935 trial of Richard Hauptmann]] A polygraph, often incorrectly referred to as a lie detector test, is a pseudoscientific device or procedure that measures and records several physiological indicators such as blood pressure, pulse, respiration, and skin conductivity while a person is asked and answers a series of questions. The belief underpinning the use of the polygraph is that deceptive answers will produce physiological responses that can be differentiated from those associated with non-deceptive answers; however, there are no specific physiological reactions associated with lying, making it difficult to identify factors that separate those who are lying from those who are telling the truth.
In some countries, polygraphs are used as an interrogation tool with criminal suspects or candidates for sensitive public or private sector employment. Some United States law enforcement and federal government agencies, as well as many police departments, use polygraph examinations to interrogate suspects and screen new employees. Within the US federal government, a polygraph examination is also referred to as a psychophysiological detection of deception examination.