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

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.
• 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.