NCJ Number
84689
Journal
Polygraph Volume: 11 Issue: 1 Dated: (March 1982) Pages: 114-124
Date Published
1982
Length
11 pages
Annotation
The pretest interview, conducted prior to actual polygraph examination, is vital to the diagnostic examiner not only in obtaining unambiguous records but also in the overall interpretation of the subject's truthfulness.
Abstract
The examiner must ensure that the subject is in the proper frame of mind, is physically and emotionally suitable for examination, and is familiar with polygraph questioning techniques. Control questions are determined during the pretest interview, and these questions must evoke the subject's genuine concern. Behavioral patterns characteristic of guilt or innocence must also be elicited during the pretest. The pretest interview should be composed of nonabrasive and nonaccusatory questions that force the subject to discuss personal attitudes toward the incident. It should include direct inquiry as to whether the subject committed the act in question; an innocent person's response will be immediate unequivocal denial. It should address the case's punitive aspects and suspicions as to the actual criminal. Both verbal and nonverbal responses must be noted. The chart tracings of the polygraph provide the basis for the evaluator's conclusion, but pretest interview responses aid in identifying behavior clusters characteristic of truth or deception. One reference is provided.