NCJ Number
113410
Journal
Polygraph Volume: 17 Issue: 2 Dated: (June 1988) Pages: 45-55
Date Published
1988
Length
11 pages
Annotation
In a single-blind laboratory investigation of lie detection, it was found that skin resistance and conductance will detect lying and that males will exhibit a greater skin-resistance response than will females.
Abstract
Eighty subjects, 40 males and 40 females were given a cognitive script reading task containing a startle element. Two electrodes on the surface of the subject's skin measured the skin's ability to act as a resistor. A sudden noise, statement, or response by the subject would be followed in about two seconds by a rapid decrease in the measured resistance and an increase in the flow of electricity between the two electrodes. The voltage increase indicated that the skin resistance lowered; i.e., the galvanic skin response. The galvanic skin response alone has not been a good device for measuring lying outside of the laboratory. However, when combined with a story script containing an interruptive question technique, the galvanic skin response improves as an indicator of lying. Additionally, because males and females show differences in skin resistance, it was possible to predict the sex of the subject by measuring skin resistance responses. These results suggest that further research should be conducted into the psychology of fatigue factors, semantics, pharmacology, abnormal psychology, organic disorders, and cultural disparities in order to obtain a more valid measure of how skin resistance and conductance measures operate. 53 references. 1 table.