CPE Data Analysis 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In Backster's scoring system, a score of '-1' on a relevant question indicates:
- A strong deceptive response
- A slight response favoring the relevant question (Correct answer)
- A slight response favoring the comparison question
- No discernible physiological reaction
Correct answer: A slight response favoring the relevant question
In Backster's system, a -1 score means the relevant question produced a slightly stronger physiological reaction compared to the comparison, suggesting a mild deception-consistent response.
Question 2: Which analysis method requires a blind examiner to score charts without knowledge of the case facts or prior analysis results?
- In-house verification
- Blind chart analysis (Correct answer)
- Confirmed chart review
- Spot scoring
Correct answer: Blind chart analysis
Blind chart analysis requires the scoring examiner to have no knowledge of case facts, prior opinions, or context to eliminate confirmation bias.
Question 3: When analyzing electrodermal activity (EDA), what response feature is most significant for scoring comparison versus relevant question reactions?
- Baseline skin resistance level
- Amplitude and duration of response onset relative to question stimulus (Correct answer)
- Total number of spontaneous fluctuations
- Tonic SCL during the inter-question interval
Correct answer: Amplitude and duration of response onset relative to question stimulus
Examiners score EDA by evaluating the amplitude and onset timing of responses to each question stimulus, comparing the relative magnitude between comparison and relevant questions.
Question 4: During spot analysis, a polygraph examiner compares the physiological response to a relevant question against:
- The examinees resting baseline only
- The response to the immediately adjacent comparison question (Correct answer)
- The average of all relevant question responses
- The response during the pre-test interview
Correct answer: The response to the immediately adjacent comparison question
Spot analysis evaluates each relevant question's response against the comparison question that is structurally adjacent to it in the test format.
Question 5: What is the primary purpose of calculating 'Total Chart Minutes' (TCM) in polygraph data analysis?
- To measure examiner fatigue during the session
- To quantify the amount of physiological data available for scoring (Correct answer)
- To determine how long the examinee was attached to the instrument
- To track the duration of each individual question
Correct answer: To quantify the amount of physiological data available for scoring
TCM quantifies the total usable physiological recording time across all charts, providing an estimate of data sufficiency for reliable analysis.
Question 6: When using the Numerical Scoring System, an 'inconclusive' determination is typically rendered when the total score falls within which range?
- -5 to -2
- -1 to +5
- +6 to +10
- -5 to +5 using a ±6 decision rule (Correct answer)
Correct answer: -5 to +5 using a ±6 decision rule
Under common decision rules (e.g., ±6 cutoff), scores between -5 and +5 do not meet the threshold for either DI or NDI, resulting in an inconclusive determination.
Question 7: Which of the following best describes 'inter-rater reliability' in the context of polygraph data analysis?
- The consistency of an examiner's scores across multiple sittings
- The degree of agreement between two or more independent examiners scoring the same charts (Correct answer)
- The correlation between EDA and cardiovascular channels within a single chart
- The repeatability of physiological responses across multiple test presentations
Correct answer: The degree of agreement between two or more independent examiners scoring the same charts
Inter-rater reliability measures how consistently different trained examiners arrive at the same scoring outcome when independently analyzing the same set of polygraph charts.
CPE Data Analysis 3
In Backster's scoring system, a score of '-1' on a relevant question indicates: