CPE Question Formulation 5

Question 1

When constructing comparison questions for a pre-employment screening polygraph, the examiner should select comparison topics that:

Accepted Answer

Involve common dishonest behaviors that virtually all applicants have engaged in to some degree

Answer

Mirror the exact job duties described in the position's application form

Answer

Are limited to acts the examinee has already admitted to during the interview

Answer

Focus exclusively on illegal behavior during the five years prior to application

Question 2

The phrase 'relevant to the issue under investigation' in question formulation means the question must:

Accepted Answer

Reference the specific act, time, and place central to the investigation

Answer

Be approved in advance by the requesting law enforcement agency

Answer

Include the name of the victim or complainant

Answer

Be drawn verbatim from the case file provided by the investigator

Question 3

A polygraph question that uses a double negative, such as 'Did you not falsify any records?', should be avoided because:

Accepted Answer

The grammatical structure creates cognitive confusion, making the question unsuitable for reliable testing

Answer

Double negatives increase chart sensitivity and skew the scoring algorithm

Answer

APA ethics rules categorize double negatives as a form of examiner coercion

Answer

Double-negative questions are only permissible in directed lie test formats

Question 4

During a probable-lie comparison (PLC) question review, the examinee denies ever having lied. The examiner should:

Accepted Answer

Challenge the denial by pointing out that everyone has lied at some point, to maintain psychological salience

Answer

Accept the denial and replace the comparison question with a directed lie question

Answer

Remove the comparison question and proceed with only relevant and symptomatic questions

Answer

Record the denial and proceed without modification to preserve pre-test neutrality

Question 5

A 'number test' used during a stimulation phase is BEST described as a type of:

Accepted Answer

Concealed information test using a sequence of numbers to demonstrate polygraph detection capability

Answer

Relevant question series targeting concealed numerical data (e.g., dollar amounts)

Answer

Comparison question designed to produce a known physiological response for calibration

Answer

Symptomatic question series evaluating the examinee's mathematical comprehension

Question 6

When an investigation involves multiple crimes (e.g., theft and assault), best practice recommends:

Accepted Answer

Conducting separate focused examinations for each issue rather than a single multi-issue test

Answer

Combining all issues into a single comprehensive relevant question to reduce examination length

Answer

Using only symptomatic questions when more than two issues are present

Answer

Administering a screening-format test to address all issues simultaneously

Question 7

An examiner formulates the question: 'Do you know for sure who threatened your supervisor?' This is an example of a:

Accepted Answer

Relevant question addressing knowledge rather than direct participation

Answer

Symptomatic question used to probe for outside-issue contamination

Answer

Comparison question based on a probable-lie format

Answer

Sacrifice question designed to absorb initial orienting responses