CPE Question Formulation 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When formulating questions for a specific-incident examination, the relevant questions should be:
- General enough to encompass all possible forms of the act
- Limited to a single, precisely defined incident and time frame (Correct answer)
- Repeated verbatim in each chart to ensure reliability
- Worded identically to questions used in prior examinations on similar issues
Correct answer: Limited to a single, precisely defined incident and time frame
Specific-incident questions must be narrowly defined to minimize ambiguity and ensure the examinee's response is tied to the single known event under investigation.
Question 2: In the Utah Zone Comparison Technique (ZCT), which question type is used to address the examinee's fear that the examiner will make an error?
- Sacrifice relevant question
- Symptomatic question (Correct answer)
- Exclusive comparison question
- Inside-issue comparison question
Correct answer: Symptomatic question
Symptomatic questions in ZCT probe whether the examinee fears an unjust outcome or suspects hidden questions, controlling for test-related anxiety unrelated to the relevant issue.
Question 3: A polygraph examiner changes the wording of a relevant question after the first chart. This practice is:
- Standard procedure to maintain the examinee's attention across charts
- Generally prohibited because it prevents valid within-test comparisons (Correct answer)
- Required by APA standards for all multiple-issue tests
- Acceptable only when the examinee requests clarification
Correct answer: Generally prohibited because it prevents valid within-test comparisons
Changing question wording between charts invalidates cross-chart comparisons because the physiological responses may reflect the new wording rather than the underlying issue.
Question 4: An 'exclusive' comparison question in a Zone Comparison Technique examination is one that:
- Covers only acts that the examinee has admitted to during the pre-test interview
- Explicitly excludes the time period and acts covered by the relevant questions (Correct answer)
- Is administered exclusively during the final chart of the examination
- Focuses on issues outside the jurisdiction of the requesting agency
Correct answer: Explicitly excludes the time period and acts covered by the relevant questions
Exclusive comparison questions are carefully bounded to exclude the relevant issue's time frame and behavior, ensuring the examinee's concern is psychologically separated from the crime under investigation.
Question 5: Which of the following is the MOST critical reason to avoid using legally defined terms (e.g., 'assault,' 'fraud') in relevant questions?
- Legal terms are copyrighted and cannot be reproduced in examination records
- Examinees may have a different understanding of the term's legal meaning, causing response distortion (Correct answer)
- Legal terms automatically invalidate chart data in court proceedings
- Such terms are reserved exclusively for law enforcement polygraph examiners
Correct answer: Examinees may have a different understanding of the term's legal meaning, causing response distortion
Legal definitions vary by jurisdiction and the examinee's understanding may differ from the examiner's intent, introducing ambiguity that undermines the diagnostic value of the response.
Question 6: In peak of tension (POT) testing, the non-key items serve which specific function?
- They act as comparison questions to provide a psychophysiological baseline
- They provide psychological cover so the key item does not stand out by position alone (Correct answer)
- They are scored identically to the key item to detect outside-issue contamination
- They replace relevant questions when the examinee denies all involvement
Correct answer: They provide psychological cover so the key item does not stand out by position alone
Non-key items in a POT test surround the key with plausible alternatives, ensuring that a response to the key item reflects knowledge rather than positional guessing.
Question 7: The APA recommends that relevant questions be reviewed with the examinee prior to testing. The PRIMARY purpose of this review is to:
- Allow the examinee to object to questions deemed unfair
- Ensure the examinee fully understands each question so responses reflect the issue, not confusion (Correct answer)
- Obtain a written waiver confirming the examinee's agreement with the question wording
- Give the examiner an opportunity to assess the examinee's verbal demeanor before chart collection
Correct answer: Ensure the examinee fully understands each question so responses reflect the issue, not confusion
Pre-test question review eliminates ambiguity, ensuring physiological responses during testing are driven by the relevant issue rather than misunderstanding of the question's meaning.
CPE Question Formulation 3
When formulating questions for a specific-incident examination, the relevant questions should be: