CPE Data Analysis 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In the 7-position numerical scoring system, what score is assigned when the relevant question response is clearly stronger than the comparison question response?
- +1
- +2 (Correct answer)
- +3
- -1
Correct answer: +2
A +2 score indicates a clearly stronger response to the relevant question compared to the comparison question in the 7-position scoring system.
Question 2: Which physiological channel is most commonly associated with detecting suppression countermeasures during data analysis?
- Cardiovascular
- Electrodermal (Correct answer)
- Thoracic respiration
- Abdominal respiration
Correct answer: Electrodermal
The electrodermal (EDA) channel typically shows suppression artifacts most clearly, such as a flattened response pattern, when countermeasures are employed.
Question 3: What does a 'blocking' artifact in the respiration tracing indicate during polygraph data analysis?
- Normal deep breathing
- A possible countermeasure or apnea (Correct answer)
- Proper relaxation during testing
- Strong emotional response to comparison questions
Correct answer: A possible countermeasure or apnea
Blocking in respiration tracings — a sustained suppression of respiratory movement — is a classic indicator of possible countermeasure use or deliberate breath-holding.
Question 4: Under the Empirical Scoring System (ESS), what is the recommended minimum number of charts collected before making a conclusive determination?
- 1
- 2 (Correct answer)
- 3
- 4
Correct answer: 2
ESS guidelines recommend collecting a minimum of 2 charts to allow reliable comparison of physiological responses across repeated question presentations.
Question 5: During global analysis, an examiner evaluates the overall pattern of responses. Which of the following best describes a 'significant response' in global scoring?
- Any deflection above baseline
- A consistent and prominent physiological reaction across multiple channels (Correct answer)
- A single-channel deviation on one chart
- A response greater than 5mm in amplitude
Correct answer: A consistent and prominent physiological reaction across multiple channels
Global analysis identifies significant responses as those that are consistent, prominent, and appear across multiple physiological channels rather than isolated single-channel deviations.
Question 6: In the Utah Zone Comparison Technique (UZCT), which component is evaluated first during the data analysis phase?
- Cardiovascular amplitude
- Respiratory line quality and artifacts (Correct answer)
- Electrodermal response duration
- Blood pressure cuff pressure changes
Correct answer: Respiratory line quality and artifacts
UZCT data analysis typically begins with a review of respiratory tracings for quality and artifacts before scoring comparative responses.
Question 7: What statistical metric is used to quantify the trade-off between sensitivity and specificity in polygraph diagnostic accuracy studies?
- Cohen's kappa
- Area Under the ROC Curve (AUC) (Correct answer)
- Pearson correlation coefficient
- Inter-rater reliability index
Correct answer: Area Under the ROC Curve (AUC)
The Area Under the ROC Curve (AUC) summarizes a test's diagnostic accuracy by capturing the balance between true positive rate (sensitivity) and false positive rate across decision thresholds.
CPE Data Analysis 2
In the 7-position numerical scoring system, what score is assigned when the relevant question response is clearly stronger than the comparison question response?