CPE Examination Techniques 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the recommended minimum number of chart presentations in a standard polygraph examination to achieve a reliable numerical decision?
- 1
- 2
- 3 (Correct answer)
- 5
Correct answer: 3
Most validated polygraph formats require at least three chart presentations to produce a reliable and defensible numerical decision.
Question 2: A sacrifice relevant question in polygraph testing serves which primary function?
- To establish the examinee's truthfulness threshold
- To absorb initial orientation reactions and is not used for diagnostic scoring (Correct answer)
- To assess the examinee's cognitive ability
- To replace a comparison question when the examinee is uncooperative
Correct answer: To absorb initial orientation reactions and is not used for diagnostic scoring
The sacrifice relevant is placed early in the sequence to absorb the startle or novelty response, and its data are excluded from the diagnostic score.
Question 3: During a polygraph examination, an examinee exhibits a consistently larger cardio response to comparison questions than to relevant questions across all charts. This pattern most likely suggests:
- Deceptive behavior on the relevant issues
- Truthful behavior on the relevant issues (Correct answer)
- Sensor malfunction in the cardio channel
- The examinee is using countermeasures
Correct answer: Truthful behavior on the relevant issues
Greater reactivity to comparison questions relative to relevant questions is the expected pattern for a truthful examinee under validated comparison question techniques.
Question 4: The 'directed lie' comparison question (DLC) differs from the 'probable lie' comparison question (PLC) in that:
- The DLC asks about a past crime, while the PLC asks about a current crime
- The DLC instructs the examinee to deliberately lie, while the PLC relies on assumed lies (Correct answer)
- The DLC is only used in criminal investigations, while the PLC is used in employment screening
- The DLC is scored differently from the PLC in numerical analysis
Correct answer: The DLC instructs the examinee to deliberately lie, while the PLC relies on assumed lies
In DLC, the examinee is explicitly instructed to answer falsely to a control question, creating a known lie; PLC relies on the assumption the examinee is lying about a broad past behavior.
Question 5: Which physiological component is primarily evaluated in the pneumograph tracing for deception-related responses?
- Heart rate changes
- Respiratory suppression, apnea, or changes in breathing pattern (Correct answer)
- Skin conductance fluctuations
- Blood pressure amplitude shifts
Correct answer: Respiratory suppression, apnea, or changes in breathing pattern
The pneumograph measures respiratory activity, and deception-related responses typically appear as suppression, apnea, or irregular breathing patterns.
Question 6: In the Air Force Modified General Question Test (AFGQT), how many relevant questions are typically included per chart?
- 1
- 2
- 3 (Correct answer)
- 5
Correct answer: 3
The AFGQT typically includes three relevant questions per chart, focusing the examination on the specific issues under investigation.
Question 7: An examinee who deliberately hyperventilates before a relevant question is most likely attempting to:
- Enhance their truthful response to appear more reactive
- Suppress autonomic responses to the relevant question by altering blood CO2 levels (Correct answer)
- Improve their cardiovascular functioning for better sensor readings
- Signal cooperation to the examiner
Correct answer: Suppress autonomic responses to the relevant question by altering blood CO2 levels
Hyperventilation lowers blood CO2, which can blunt autonomic responses and is a known countermeasure used to suppress reactions to relevant questions.
CPE Examination Techniques 3
What is the recommended minimum number of chart presentations in a standard polygraph examination to achieve a reliable numerical decision?