NCJ Number
103877
Date Published
1986
Length
528 pages
Annotation
Testimony on the Polygraph Protection Act of 1985 (S.1815), which prohibits the use of lie detectors by employers involved in or affecting interstate commerce, presents arguments for and against the bill, with attention to polygraph reliability and the appropriateness of Federal involvement in the issue.
Abstract
The authors of the bill, Senator Orrin Hatch and Senator Ted Kennedy, argue that the polygraph is an unreliable measure of detection and therefore poses a serious threat to the rights of employees or prospective employees whose jobs depend on the results of a polygraph exam. A representative of the Justice Department opposes the bill as an unwarranted intrusion upon the rights of businesses and the prerogatives of States to regulate businesses in their jurisdictions, including their use of the polygraph. Psychologists testify on the technology of the polygraph exam and its inability to measure deception per se. Representatives of businesses that use the polygraph to screen employees generally oppose the bill because of their reliance on the polygraph to screen out undesirable employees. Some witnesses support the regulation of the use of the polygraph but oppose the bill's complete prohibition on its use. Representatives of various State agencies support the State regulation of polygraph uses within their jurisdictions. Appended additional statements.