h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Detecting lies is difficult, but not impossible. There are a variety of techniques that we use in law enforcement. In my experience, there are very definite ways to detect deception. It depends on training, expierence and context.

I am mistrustful of lie detectors. I've been polygraphed and I have been subjected to a voice stress analyzer evaluation (CVSA). However, the tool has value when used to support an interrogation. They are a great tool of intimidation.

Yes, and the use of a polygraph may achieve a legally allowable confession, when the polygraph evidence itself is inadmissable.

However, I am extremely dubious about the widespread use of voice-stress analyzers (general success rate no better than chance) and other so-called lie detectors in employment-related areas, particularly in the USA.

The American Psychological Association released a press release in 1997 about the polygraph : [URL removed by moderator]

I believe the use of the polygraph, and other more difficult to employ techniques (such as measurement of the p300 event related potential), should be carefully considered and results viewed in light of the context in which they are obtained as well as other evidence before reaching any sort of conclusion about the veracity of the individual subject to these methods.

I"m a little leary of any box that will turn out a result to be instantly intpreted as deception. I may have posted this earlier, but I've been put on a CVSA once. It said I was showing deception. I wasn't. I was just raised with a guilty conscience. Leave me alone for 45 minutes, and I'll start feeling guilty about something.

I have more faith in other techinques such as Neuro Lingustic Programming. I've seen that at work. Other things I've been trainied on include Scientific Content Analysis, Graphology, and some other more obscure stuff. I use it, but not enough to say for certain that it works. I'm quite enamored with Graphology. I'm not totally convinced by it, but I've spotted some interesting stuff with it.

NLP can be entertainingly turned back against its users.

How so?

Part of the way that NLP works is through unconcious hypnosis, and normal human response brain wiring. People who believe in NLP tend to be quite succeptible to the same techniques, this is why they choose to use them, they have seen the power. They also think they know something only a few know and so they do not expect their victim to fight back.

I am a terrible hypnosis subject, and so I see their nasty little attempts miles away, and start feeding them false data of the kind they are expecting, and then I start tossing in body language assertions, and then word commands. Usually, I choose the message "Don't f*** with me ever again you weasel", but only after they have acted disastrously on wrong information I have given them so as to add external reinforcement.

I've found the "dont f **k with me weasal" a good policy to live by..

Give me enough time and I might wonder if i did it too...
You've got the two sides...
One side says if you "Stress" out by sticking a tack in your toe during the "trufthful" Q's and not, during the ..
well, the ones you actually did...
rude ones, you know who you are...
Youll be fine....
And the ones that say while it isnt a "truth serum" it narrows it down to ..
well, you...
I dont know...
All I think is it can find is..
stress...
What does that prove?...

Agree with me? Why ever would you want to do that?

Sea Change, I don't know all that much about NLP aside from what we were taught at Interviews and Interrogations. I understand it's a very large field, that is supposed to do a lot of different things. What we in law enfocerment do is exploit a footnote that someone came across. For our purposes it works pretty well.

I deny evey word I said...
hehe....
Actually, thank you for the infomative posts...
And, by the way, what are law enforcement doing surfing the Net?...
Ok, I'm a smart ass...
( I dont what phrase you Brits say...I'm thinking "It's just one of those Americans again..")

Well, I only work 45 to 55 hours a week. I have to something with the rest of my time.

I'm new to this site...
I really havent the feel of it yet, honest...
If you are Law enforcement, you have my respect...
I just have a odd sense of humour but I never meant any disrespect..
I do apologize if any was taken..

I didn't take any offense at all.