NCJ Number
17914
Date Published
1974
Length
78 pages
Annotation
THE INSTRUMENT DISCUSSED USES AN ELECTRONIC FILTERING AND FREQUENCY DISCRIMINATION ANALYSIS OF THE SUBJECT'S VOICE TO DETECT, MEASURE, AND GRAPHICALLY DISPLAY VOICE TREMORS THEORETICALLY CONTAINED IN DECEPTIVE STATEMENTS.
Abstract
THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF LIE DETECTORS IS PRESENTED AND THE AUTHOR EXPLAINS THE VARIOUS PHYSIOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES BEHIND LIE DETECTORS IN GENERAL AS WELL AS THE PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS EVALUATOR IN PARTICULAR. A GENERAL DESCRIPTION IS GIVEN OF THE PRESENT STATUS OF RESEARCH ON LIE DETECTORS, WITH STUDIES OF PARTICULAR IMPORTANCE TO THIS THESIS BEING PRESENTED INDIVIDUALLY. THE AUTHOR'S PILOT STUDY ON THE VALIDITY OF THE PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS EVALUATOR IS DETAILED AND THE RESULTS EXPLAINED. SIX SUBJECTS FACING DISCIPLINARY ACTION AT SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY WERE USED IN THIS STUDY. ONE HALF OF THE SUBJECTS WERE GUILTY OF THE TARGET DRUG OFFENSE, THE OTHER HALF WERE INNOCENT. THE SUBJECTS WERE GIVEN THE IMPRESSION THAT THEY WERE IN JEOPARDY OF FACING THE NORMAL CONSEQUENCES ASSOCIATED WITH THEIR OFFENSE IF THEY WERE FOUND GUILTY. AN EXPERT IN PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS EVALUATOR ANALYSIS DID NOT REACH CHANCE EXPECTANCY LEVELS IN HIS JUDGMENTS BASED ON THE TAPES MADE DURING THE INTERROGATION. THE AUTHOR SUGGESTS THAT THE RESULTS OF THIS STUDY INDICATE THAT THE PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS EVALUATOR AT ITS PRESENT STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT MAY NOT BE ABLE TO ACCURATELY ANALYZE THE RESPONSES SYMPTOMATIC OF DECEPTION. SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE STUDIES IN THIS FIELD INCLUDE AN ENLARGED VERSION OF THE PRESENT PILOT STUDY, A TEST OF INSTRUMENT ACCURACY IN PERIODIC EMPLOYMENT SCREENING, AND A STUDY INVOLVING A POSSIBLE METHOD OF 'BEATING' THE LIE DETECTOR. A THREE-AND-ONE-HALF PAGE BIBLIOGRAPHY IS INCLUDED. THE APPENDIX CONTAINS THE PROCEDURAL GUIDELINES FOR THE PILOT STUDY, A SUBJECT INFORMED CONSENT FORM, THE INSTRUCTIONS TO THE TAPE ANALYST, INSTRUMENT RESPONSE PATTERNS INDICATIVE OF DECEPTION. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)