NCJ Number
224773
Journal
Polygraph Volume: 37 Issue: 1 Dated: 2008 Pages: 3-9
Date Published
2008
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This purpose of this paper is to summarize the research which has been done in connection with the Relevant-Irrelevant (RI) polygraph technique as it relates to employment screening.
Abstract
The use of the RI polygraph technique in employment screening goes back to 1931 when Leonarde Keeler began a program of testing employees of banks in Chicago on a systematic basis to detect and prevent embezzlement and theft. The screening of Chicago bank personnel also continues and commercial testing has expanded dramatically into other fields. Although other techniques may be used, much of the commercial employment screening is conducted with the RI technique, and almost all of the Federal security screening is done with RI techniques. However, the RI technique has been plagued with criticisms, mainly due to inaccurate descriptions. One of the more serious allegations of critics is that the RI screening techniques produce an unacceptably large number of false positive errors, truthful statements erroneously called lies. Research on the RI polygraph technique as used in employment screening has demonstrated that the technique has high validity. This paper presents a series of abstracts of each of the published research papers on the topic of the RI that have some bearing on the use of the technique in screening. References