ISSN: 0022-1198
CODEN: JFSCA
Page Count: 8

Efficacy of Repeated Psychophysiological Detection of Deception Testing
Dollins, AB
Research psychologists, Department of Defense Polygraph Institute, AL

Pettit, DJ
Program manager, Office of Criminal Investigations, The Food and Drug Administration, MD

Cestaro, VL
Research psychologists, Department of Defense Polygraph Institute, AL

(Received 6 August 1997; accepted 17 December 1997)

Abstract

Physiological measures were recorded during repeated psychophysiological detection of deception (PDD) tests to determine if reaction levels change with test repetition. Two groups of 22 healthy male subjects completed six peak of tension PDD tests on each of two test days. A minimum between test day interval of six days was maintained. The treatment group was programmed to respond deceptively to one of seven test questions while the control group was programmed to respond truthfully to all questions. The respiration and galvanic skin resistance (GSR) line lengths, GSR peak response amplitude and latency, and cardiovascular inter-beat-interval (IBI) were calculated for each response. Analyses indicated that, except for GSR peak response latency, differential physiological reactivity during a PDD test did not change significantly over repeated tests or days; there was a decrease in average respiration line lengths at the initial test(s) of each day; and differential changes in average respiration line length, GSR peak latency, and cardiovascular IBI responses corresponded to deception. Power analyses were calculated to assist in result interpretation. It is suggested that PDD decision accuracy, concerning subject veracity, should not decrease during repeated testing.

Keywords:
forensic science, psychophysiological detection of deception, peak of tension, habituation, repeated measures, respiration, galvanic skin resistance, heart rate, statistical analysis

Paper ID: JFS14350J
DOI: 10.1520/JFS14350J
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