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Related Experiment Videos

The Control Question Test in polygraphic examinations with actual controls for truth

M T Bradley1, V V MacLaren, M E Black

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of New Brunswick, Saint John, Canada. Bradley@Unbsj.ca

Perceptual and Motor Skills
|December 1, 1996
PubMed
Summary

This study modified the polygraph Control Question Test (CQT) using truthful, unambiguous questions. The revised CQT accurately identified 86% of guilty individuals and 83-89% of innocent individuals in mock crime scenarios.

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Area of Science:

  • Forensic Psychology
  • Psychophysiological Detection of Deception

Background:

  • The traditional Control Question Test (CQT) in polygraph examinations utilizes incriminating, ambiguous questions that may elicit deceptive responses.
  • The necessity and ethical implications of using such questions have been debated.
  • Alternative approaches to CQT are being explored to improve accuracy and reduce potential bias.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the efficacy of a modified Control Question Test (CQT) that employs unambiguous, truthful control questions.
  • To challenge the reliance on potentially deceptive control questions in polygraph assessments.
  • To determine if truthful control questions can maintain or improve the accuracy of deception detection.

Main Methods:

  • Participants were categorized into three groups: guilty of a mock crime, innocent and informed of crime details, and innocent and uninformed of crime details.

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  • A modified version of the CQT was administered, replacing ambiguous, incriminating control questions with unambiguous, truthful ones.
  • Polygraph data was collected and analyzed to assess the identification rates for each group.

    • Main Results:

    • The modified CQT demonstrated a high accuracy rate in identifying guilty subjects (86%).
    • The examination also showed strong performance in identifying innocent subjects, with accuracy ranging from 83% to 89%.
    • These results suggest that truthful control questions are effective in differentiating between deceptive and non-deceptive individuals.

    Conclusions:

    • The use of unambiguous, truthful control questions in a modified CQT is a viable alternative to traditional methods.
    • This approach maintains high accuracy in deception detection for both guilty and innocent individuals.
    • Further research may support the adoption of truthful control questions in forensic polygraphy.