CPE Physiological Monitoring 4

Question 1

Which artifact is most likely to corrupt the EDA channel in a polygraph recording?

Accepted Answer

Loose or improperly attached finger electrodes causing contact resistance changes

Answer

Loose electrode contact creates impedance changes that mimic genuine EDA responses, making artifact identification and proper electrode attachment critical.

Question 2

In polygraph scoring, a 'suppression of amplitude' in the respiratory channel most likely indicates:

Accepted Answer

Reduction in depth of breathing that may reflect inhibition or countermeasure use

Answer

Respiratory amplitude suppression—shallower breaths—may indicate conscious suppression or a stress-induced inhibitory response at relevant questions.

Question 3

The 'orienting response' (OR) measured during polygraph testing is characterized by:

Accepted Answer

A brief, initial multi-channel response to a novel stimulus that habituates with repetition

Answer

The orienting response is an automatic, short-lived multi-system reaction to novel stimuli that diminishes (habituates) as the stimulus is repeated, helping examiners distinguish it from deception-driven responses.

Question 4

Why is the cardiograph cuff typically inflated to a pressure below systolic but above diastolic pressure during polygraph testing?

Accepted Answer

To allow arterial wall movements to be recorded while maintaining partial blood flow

Answer

Inflating to a sub-systolic level (typically 60–90 mmHg) allows the arterial wall to expand and contract with each heartbeat, recording relative blood pressure waveforms without occluding flow entirely.

Question 5

A polygraph examiner notices that a subject's EDA responses are consistently larger to comparison questions than to relevant questions. This pattern is most consistent with:

Accepted Answer

A truthful response where comparison questions generate greater concern

Answer

In comparison question techniques (e.g., CQT), truthful subjects typically show larger responses to comparison questions because those are the questions they are more concerned about.

(CPE) Certified Polygraph Examiner Practice Test

(CPE) Certified Polygraph Examiner Practice Test

CPE Physiological Monitoring 4