Polygraph Statement of "Public Safety Applicant"
16 November 2017
Note: This statement describes a so-called "directed-lie" CQT screening exam, in which the polygraph operator instructs the examinee to answer the "control" questions untruthfully. For more on this technique, see "The Lying Game: National Security and the Test for Espionage and Sabotage."
Failed Polygraph... I Think.
After waiting for the "examiner" to type my information from my personal history questionnaire into his system I was ready for my "test," or so I thought I was. It never dawned on me to google/research information on taking a polygraph test or to obtain information on what is involved in taking a polygraph test. I just KNEW whatever it took I would pass it because I have nothing to hide. I was simply taking a test for a Public Safety Data Assistant job.
Well after the examiner finished his task of putting my information in his system he told me what the test would consist of and I had no problem understanding the instructions…. until I was hooked up to the chair. Once I was hooked up to the chair I could not remember what questions I was instructed to LIE about and what questions I was supposed to tell the truth about. I came with the intentions of telling the truth and nothing but the truth however under stress I needed to remember when to LIE. I basically was required to LIE ON DEMAND!!!
I simply could not remember when to LIE and the examiner got very agitated with me because he could not get a consistent "read" on me. Once I remembered what questions I was instructed to LIE on I moved my finger or arm and THAT was disqualifying. So, I finally remembered when to LIE but in doing so I twitched or fidgeted (which could have been a reaction to me lying on demand) and that meant we had to start over again.
The examiner was very agitated at this point and told me we could not complete the "test" because I was not able to either remember when to LIE or if I did LIE I did not remain completely still. By then my heart felt like it wanted to jump out of my chest due to the device wrap around it. I felt like I wanted to bust out of the device due to feelings of uncontrolled constraint that I experienced as a 12-year-old girl being attacked by the neighborhood bully I grew up with. The strap around my chest triggered the feeling I experienced when he accosted me from behind, wrapped his arms around my arms and chest and wrestled me to the ground while physically assaulting me and touching me inappropriately (molesting me). I could not untangle myself from his grasp no matter how hard I struggled to do so. THAT is what I remembered the longer I had the device strapped around my chest!! As much as I tried, I could not control my anxiety.
After several attempts to tell the truth, remember when to LIE ON DEMAND and try to keep the thoughts of being violated out of my head failed to give the examiner enough consistent results to determine when I was lying or not, he decided the test could not be completed due to my inability to remember when to LIE ON DEMAND or not move when I did LIE. I believe he said it was an incomplete test and then had the nerves to tell me that if I couldn't complete that test I probably would NOT be a good dispatcher. The job I was testing for was not for a dispatcher job. I told him, lying was counter intuitive for me and I'm prone to tell the truth when asked a question. Therefore, needing to remember when to LIE wasn't easy for me. I also told him I doubt that I'll need to lie as a dispatcher so I'm sure I could perform the job honestly and professionally if I had the job. Plus, I doubt that I would be strapped to a chair and told I could not move while performing the job.
After discontinuing the test, he also made a comment that he's sure I'm an honest person HOWEVER the test he administered was inconclusive and he would write his report based on what he experienced during the examination. He also told me that maybe I should request to be retested by the Sgt. at the Police Department that I was applying to because her test is much simpler than his test. He said I may have better luck taking her test since it's simpler. Due to my lack of knowledge about the polygraph I assumed that ALL polygraph test was the same. Ignorance on my part!
Well, he sent his report to the Police Department and whatever he wrote eliminated me from being considered for the job. This job required a high school diploma, 2 years of customer/public service experience and the ability to type 45 words per minute. I type 70 words per minute and have a Bachelor's degree with over 20 years of customer/public service experience. I'm looking to reenter the job market after a divorce and thought this would be a good reentry to a stable position.
After "failing" the polygraph I've spent quite a bit of time researching what went wrong with me. Thankfully I've learned that nothing went wrong with me. My body did what it was supposed to do under stress. I experienced a great amount of stress having to relive an assault that I survived, and I was not able to LIE ON DEMAND when instructed to consistently throughout a test that is designed to determine my honesty.
I believe the process is archaic and eliminates and discredits honorable candidates from the selection process. No wonder they are having such difficulty hiring people. They are using liars to administer unreliable polygraph "test" to eliminate honest people.
I can't help but wonder if the polygraph is supposed to be so reliable (per those that administer it and make a living from it) why isn't [Special Counsel and former FBI Director Robert S.] Mueller using it to just round up ALL the LIARS in the current administration!!! It sure would give him the results he needs right? So much for finding the truth.