NCJ Number
63871
Journal
Journal of Applied Psychology Volume: 63 Issue: 4 Dated: (1978) Pages: 489-498
Date Published
1978
Length
10 pages
Annotation
A GENERALIZED DECISION THEORY APPROACH APPLICABLE TO A WIDE VARIETY OF POLYGRAPH USES IS DISCUSSED AS A COUNTER TO THE PREVAILING UNSYSTEMATIC APPROACH TO POLYGRAPH DATA USE.
Abstract
THE DEMONSTRATION SPECIFIES ALL THE COMPONENTS NEEDED FOR OPTIMAL DECISIONMAKING IN A VARIETY OF INTERROGATION SITUATIONS BY MAKING USE OF THE GUILTY KNOWLEDGE TECHNIQUE (GKT) (LYKEN, 1959, 1960). THIS TECHNIQUE RESTS ON A CLEAR, EXPLICABLE RATIONALE WITH PROPER CONTROLS. THE GKT IS A PARADIGM IN WHICH ONE OR MORE QUESTIONS ARE POSED TO A SUBJECT IN A STANDARDIZED FASHION. EACH QUESTION SERIES CONSISTS OF SEVERAL ITEMS, SOME OF WHICH ARE ASSUMED TO BE KNOWN ONLY TO PERSONS INVOLVED WITH A CRITICAL EVENT (CRIME, LEAK OF INFORMATION, ETC.). DURING THE INTERROGATION, PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGES ARE RECORDED THAT SUGGEST OR REFUTE INVOLVEMENT OF A SUBJECT WITH THE CRITICAL EVENT. NOT LIMITED TO THE GKT, THE APPROACH SUGGESTED MAY BE APPLIED TO ANY QUANTITATIVE PROCEDURE USED TO DETECT INVOLVEMENT WITH CRITICAL INFORMATION. A UNIQUE CHARACTERISTIC OF THE SUGGESTED SYSTEM IS ITS GENERATION OF INFORMATION ABOUT ITS OWN LIMITATIONS. THE PROPOSED APPROACH ALSO USES A DATA BASE THAT CAN BE CONTINUALLY UPDATED. THE DISTRIBUTION ON WHICH THE DECISIONS ARE BASED CAN BE EXTENDED BY ADDIONAL DATA COLLECTED BY ADDING PHYSIOLOGICAL CHANNELS, REPEATING QUESTIONS, AND BASING THE DECISION FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL ON THE DISTRIBUTIONS GENERATED FROM A POPULATION TO WHICH HE/SHE IS MOST SIMILAR. TABULAR DATA AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)