Can You Pass This Lie Detector Test?

Take this quiz to find out!

You’re a spy. Your mission is to secretly deliver coordinates to a fellow spy at a black-tie gala without blowing your cover. You’re told she’s wearing a pink dress. You spend an hour chatting, dancing, and eating, then successfully drop the coordinates into her pocket. Success.

But as you’re sneaking out the door, you’re pulled away by security and thrown into an interrogation room. Can you lie your way to freedom? Answer these 12 questions to pass our spy lie detector test.

A man sits at a table with his hand hooked up to a polygraph test.

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Questions Overview

1. A man in black shines a light in your eyes: “Who are you?”
  1. I focus on slowing my breathing before I calmly say my cover name.
  2. I say my cover name right away to show that I’m not hesitating.
2. “Huh, interesting. You know—we checked the list, and your name wasn’t on it.”
  1. “Not sure why that would be. ”
  2. “Sounds like your list’s problem.”
3. “What were you doing at the museum tonight?”
  1. “Dancing, chatting, eating—like everyone else. I don’t normally go to these things, but I donated. So why not?”
  2. “A friend of a friend of a friend invited me.”
4. “Oh, really? And what’d you think of it?”
  1. “I thought the salmon was good, but the shrimp was so-so.”
  2. “I thought the steak was good, but the shrimp was so-so.”
5. “Who did you speak to?”
  1. “No one.”
  2. “I met some fascinating people—though, I’m terrible with names, so I’m not sure I could say who.”
6. “Who sent you?”
  1. "Who wants to know?"
  2. “To the gala? Myself, I guess?”
7. The agent pauses and silently stares at you, trying to intimidate you. What do you do?
  1. Close your eyes to help yourself relax.
  2. Stare him down right back, while silently focusing on keeping my heart from racing.
8. “We saw you bump into the woman in the pink dress.”
  1. “Ah, yes. I have two left feet, I’m afraid.”
  2. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
9. “We thought we might’ve seen you drop something into her pocket. Did you?”
  1. “Drop something into her pocket at a black tie gala? That would be strange—of course I didn’t.”
  2. “Ah, you caught me. We’d talked earlier, and I arranged a little run-in so that I could drop my phone number in her pocket.”
10. You’re about to walk out the door, but the agent stops you. “Remind me, what food did you say was only so-so?”
  1. The shrimp.
  2. The salmon.

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The Science of Lie Detection

As popular as the notion of lie detector tests has become in popular media, did you know that polygraph tests are actually not all that accurate?

A polygraph machine operates under the theory that when people are lying, they experience anxiety, guilt, or fear of being caught—all of which may lead to an increased heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, and perspiration. The machine, therefore, was designed to test the examinee’s physiological responses to different questions, with the assumption being that if they presented as “distressed,” they were lying, and if they remained calm, they were telling the truth, because they had nothing to worry about. Of course, people are also likely to be distressed when they’re being interrogated and intimidated, meaning the results of a polygraph may not be totally accurate!

The first polygraph machine was developed in 1921 by John Larson, and though it’s seen many improvements over the decades since then, studies have determined that the polygraph machine is still not all that good at detecting lies. In fact, some psychologists estimate it’s wrong up to half the time. That’s a lot!

Because it’s so inaccurate so often, lie detector tests are not usually admissible as evidence in a criminal trial—though they still may be used in investigations.

Want to learn more?

For more information about lying, liars, and what makes someone great a deception, check out these authoritative resources below:

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