Q&A for How to Pass a Polygraph Test

Absolutely yes, and an employer cannot require, request or even suggest a lie detector test be taken by an employee or job applicant. As an employer you also cannot discipline, dismiss, discriminate against or threaten to take action against any employee or job applicant who refuses a test. There are a few exceptions to these laws, for certain government employees and for jobs related to security, handling drugs or when investigating a specific theft or suspected crime. Even if a test is potentially allowed, there must be a reasonable and provable suspicion that the person was involved, at least 48 hours of notice before the test, as well as specific limitations on how the test can be given.

Lie detector tests are notoriously inaccurate. There is no good, reliable or evidence-based way to connect the kind of data that lie detector tests measure (such as readings on skin conductivity, blood pressure, heart rate and breathing) with whether or not someone is telling the truth. The American Psychological Association says that, "...the most practical advice is to remain skeptical about any conclusion wrung from a polygraph."

This is certainly a possibility and one of many reasons why polygraphs are unlikely to be very accurate.

Yes. Most often, the examiner will ask a series of calibration questions, including which medications you're currently taking.

No. Pre-ventricular contractions (PVC's) may make a chart look cluttered, but the data would be artifacted and not usable. These are very common, and examiners know how to handle them. Just mention them before the exam and any medications your doctor has prescribed.

The polygraph test is imperfect. There are many factors, such as your anxiety level, resting heart rate, physical comfort, and the foods you have ingested, which could have affected the results. If you are being accused because of the result, you can still maintain the truth. Explain that the test is imperfect, or identify and assess factors that could have impacted the results. Offer to take other, different types of lie detecting tests, or use witnesses or other people that can support your truth in order to maintain your credibility. In the end, it depends on the situation what you should do next, but as you did tell the truth, it seems morally correct overall to stick with it.

It all depends on the type of test administered. Each test varies as to the number of questions.

No, mental illness would have to severely impairing to you in order for the test to be excused. The illnesses you describe would not be an issue, and you are eligible to take the polygraph test.

The polygraph test measures physical responses such as breathing or heart rate. So as long as your feelings do not trigger a physical response, you should be fine.

Let them know you have ADHD ahead of time so you can explain certain responses. Otherwise, it shouldn't do much to affect the results. ADHD doesn't necessarily alter your physiological responses to lying vs. telling the truth.

Since menopause can affect the mental, physical and psychological state of people, and polygraphs use - among others - this data to come to a result, I would say yes. But I don't think the effects are of any degree of importance.

It depends on what the medication is, as some could potentially cause you to fail a polygraph test.

Yes, it surely does. Being nervous can make you fail a polygraph test, but a professional polygrapher should know about this and ignore the nervousness.

Yes, as long as you remember your previous "crimes" it would have a influence. It is best to tell the examiner about it before the test.

Talk to a pharmacist about over-the-counter medications to calm you. They may recommend you see a general practitioner if your problem is severe. A GP can prescribe calming medication or offer other advice. No medication that calms your nerves is guaranteed to allow you to pass a polygraph test.

Most likely not, but just to be safe, I would inform those who are administering the test that you are experiencing severe back pain prior to beginning the test.

No. It checks for heartbeat (and sweat, depending on the type of polygraph), not for chemicals absent or present.

It's not a test to gauge your skills, like a math exam; it's a tool used to add to the burden of evidence in a case. You don't usually get to know the results.

Yes. These machines are never 100% accurate. Not even 80%. In fact, they are going more and more out of style. They used to be the holy grail of interrogation, but rather than actually doing any verifiable, repeatable work, they really only serve to rattle your cage. Perhaps that's a bit unfair; there really is a lot of science to it. But if you were good at controlling your voice, heart rate, etc. and you lied on all the calibration questions, then telling the truth could result in failing the test.

One of the main reasons a polygraph really isn't a good tool at all is that it requires calibration questions. They will ask you simple questions to answer truthfully to register your vitals when you are not nervous, then ask you to lie to see what that gives on the result. For the real questions, they'll check the results to the tests at the beginning. The more you mess with those initial results, the less reliable the actual test will be. Besides, you're nervous and have heart problems for both sections of the test, so they influence both equally, allowing for that influence to be ignored.

Not necessarily.

"The negative values indicate higher reaction on the relevant questions and the positive values indicate higher response on the control questions." - Aleksandra Slavkovic on "Evaluating Polygraph Data"

Yes, anything that alters heart rate, respiration, blood pressure, and other physical indicators can skew results because a polygraph test is just a measurement of those physical indicators.

Focus on the beach or somewhere calm and count down from 100 by sevens for a while. Warning: if you take too long to answer, the system thinks you’re lying!

A person taking beta blockers will have a blunted physiologic response to stress and have an increased likelihood of an inconclusive or false-negative polygraph exam, therefore it is not recommended for someone taking beta blockers to participate in a polygraph test.

It does not make any difference how many times you "fail" a polygraph because it is up to the administrator and examiner of its data to decide if you are at fault for what they are asking you.