NCJ Number
60675
Journal
Psychophysiology Volume: 15 Issue: 2 Dated: (1978) Pages: 126-136
Date Published
1978
Length
11 pages
Annotation
THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO ASSESS THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE CONTROL QUESTION TEST IN DETECTING DECEPTION WITH PSYCHOPATHS WHEN STANDARD PHYSIOLOGICAL MEASURES ARE USED.
Abstract
A SAMPLE OF 48 CANADIAN PRISONERS WAS DIVIDED INTO TWO EQUAL GROUPS, ONE DIAGNOSED PSYCHOPATHIC. EACH GROUP WAS THEN RANDOMLY DIVIDED INTO TWO HALVES, ONE 'GUILTY' AND ONE 'INNOCENT.' (THE 'GUILTY' HAD TAKEN $20 IN A MOCK CRIME.) AN EXAMINER WITH NO KNOWLEDGE OF SUBJECT GUILT OR INNOCENCE CONDUCTED A FIELD-TYPE INTERVIEW FOLLOWED BY A CONTROL QUESTION-POLYGRAPH EXAMINATION. QUANTITATIVE AND FIELD (SEMIOBJECTIVE) EVALUATIONS OF ELECTRODERMAL, RESPIRATORY, AND CARDIOVASCULAR ACTIVITIES WERE THEN MADE. STUDY FINDINGS DID NOT SUPPORT THE BELIEF THAT TECHNIQUES TO DETECT DECEPTION ARE INEFFECTIVE WITH PSYCHOPATHS SINCE (1) NO 'GUILTY' SUBJECT PRODUCED A TRUTHFUL RESPONSE TO THE CONTROL QUESTION TEST, AND (2) PSYCHOPATHS WERE AS RESPONSIVE AS NONPSYCHOPATHS TO THE PHYSIOLOGICAL MEASURES AND SHOWED EVIDENCE OF STRONGER REACTIVITY IN HEART RATE-DECELERATION MEASURES, POSITIVE SKIN POTENTIAL, AND SKIN CONDUCTANCE. A SOCIALIZATION MEASURE, USED IN IDENTIFYING PSYCHOPATHS WHEN CASE HISTORIES ARE LIMITED, DID NOT CHANGE THESE FINDINGS AND PROVIDED ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE OF STRONGER DIFFERENTIATION AMONG LOW-SOCIALIZATION SUBJECTS. THE STUDY ALSO DEMONSTRATED THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE CONTROL QUESTION TECHNIQUE IN A MOCK-CRIME PRISON SITUATION; IT PROVIDED EVIDENCE THAT SUFFICIENTLY AROUSED OR MOTIVATED PSYCHOPATHS ARE NOT HYPORESPONSIVE. QUESTIONS RELATING TO FINDINGS ON HEART RATE ACTIVITY AND PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES IN TWO 'INNOCENT' SUBJECTS ALSO WERE DISCUSSED. THREE TABLES, FIGURES, AND A REFERENCE LIST ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--AOP)