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Current PDD Methods and Techniques
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Psychology
Applied Psychology

Psychophysiological Detection of Deception

Profile image of Charles HontsCharles Honts

1994, Current Directions in Psychological Science

Abstract
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Psychophysiological detection of deception (PDD) plays a critical role in various settings including law enforcement and security screenings. This chapter reviews existing literature on PDD methodologies, particularly focusing on polygraph testing and its applications in forensic contexts. It evaluates the techniques, such as Concealed Knowledge Tests, and highlights their strengths and weaknesses, while also acknowledging the limited empirical data on PDD's effectiveness in treatment and monitoring scenarios.

Figures (5)
Table 5.1 The Results of high-quality laboratory studies of the Comparison Question Test
Table 5.1 The Results of high-quality laboratory studies of the Comparison Question Test
Table 5.2 The Accuracy of independent evaluations 1n field studies of the Comparison Question Test
Table 5.2 The Accuracy of independent evaluations 1n field studies of the Comparison Question Test
Table 5.3 Per cent correct decisions by original examiners in field cases
Table 5.3 Per cent correct decisions by original examiners in field cases
Table 5.4 Contingency table of outcomes for a highly accurate PDD test with a low base rate of guilt hands-on training enable some subjects to produce false negative out- comes. The laboratory research establishing these findings is likely to represent worst-case scenarios. Moreover, the problem of effective coun- termeasures seems to be substantially ameliorated by the use of computer- based statistical analysis of the data (Honts et al., 1994).
Table 5.4 Contingency table of outcomes for a highly accurate PDD test with a low base rate of guilt hands-on training enable some subjects to produce false negative out- comes. The laboratory research establishing these findings is likely to represent worst-case scenarios. Moreover, the problem of effective coun- termeasures seems to be substantially ameliorated by the use of computer- based statistical analysis of the data (Honts et al., 1994).
Table 5.5 Per cent outcomes in the polygraph screening study reported by Barland, Honts, and Barger (1989) conducted in forensic contexts. Barland, Honts and Barger (1989) repor- ted the largest of the studies of national security screening. Barland et al conducted a large mock-espionage study where subjects were recruitec from an American military base. Those subjects engaged in comple scenarios that involved committing acts that could be considered as espi- onage (e.g., removing a ‘Secret’ document from a secure facility and ther selling it to an agent in a bar in the local town). Subjects were subsequently given screening polygraph examinations by government polygraph exam- iners whose primary duty was to run screening polygraph examinations. Those examiners were instructed to conduct the examinations as if they were real screening tests and to interrogate the subjects if they felt they were deceptive. The results of Barland, Honts, and Barger (1989) were quite surprising. Rather than producing a large number of false positive outcomes, the examinations produced a large number of false negative outcomes. The overall results from the study are illustrated in Table 5.5 and were only slightly better than chance, reflecting a high bias towarc truthful outcomes. Subsequent research in the early 1990s replicated anc extended the finding that false negative outcomes predominated with the national security screening PPD test. Reviews of that literature are provided by Honts (1991; 1994). It appears that in the last ten year: the United States Government has conducted a great deal of research on improving the validity of the national security PDD techniques with some laboratory studies now showing substantial improvements in accu- racy (e.g., DoDPI, 1998; also see the recent review by Krapohl, 2002) There is no published research assessing whether or not the accuracy rates demonstrated for such new tests generalise to the field.
Table 5.5 Per cent outcomes in the polygraph screening study reported by Barland, Honts, and Barger (1989) conducted in forensic contexts. Barland, Honts and Barger (1989) repor- ted the largest of the studies of national security screening. Barland et al conducted a large mock-espionage study where subjects were recruitec from an American military base. Those subjects engaged in comple scenarios that involved committing acts that could be considered as espi- onage (e.g., removing a ‘Secret’ document from a secure facility and ther selling it to an agent in a bar in the local town). Subjects were subsequently given screening polygraph examinations by government polygraph exam- iners whose primary duty was to run screening polygraph examinations. Those examiners were instructed to conduct the examinations as if they were real screening tests and to interrogate the subjects if they felt they were deceptive. The results of Barland, Honts, and Barger (1989) were quite surprising. Rather than producing a large number of false positive outcomes, the examinations produced a large number of false negative outcomes. The overall results from the study are illustrated in Table 5.5 and were only slightly better than chance, reflecting a high bias towarc truthful outcomes. Subsequent research in the early 1990s replicated anc extended the finding that false negative outcomes predominated with the national security screening PPD test. Reviews of that literature are provided by Honts (1991; 1994). It appears that in the last ten year: the United States Government has conducted a great deal of research on improving the validity of the national security PDD techniques with some laboratory studies now showing substantial improvements in accu- racy (e.g., DoDPI, 1998; also see the recent review by Krapohl, 2002) There is no published research assessing whether or not the accuracy rates demonstrated for such new tests generalise to the field.

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