WHAT DOES IT MEAN WHEN SOMEONE FAILS A POLYGRAPH TEST?
When a polygraph examiner concludes that deceptive psycho-physiological reactions are seen on the polygraph charts in one or more of the examinees answers to the test questions, the examinee is said to have failed the polygraph test. Deception is indicated when the examinees Autonomic Nervous System displays a significant and repetitive defensive reaction to one or more of the relevant test questions. Although this reaction in itself in not a lie, years of research has shown that 90 to 95 percent of the examinees who display this reaction were either lying to the relevant test questions or was withholding pertinent information relating to the relevant test questions. Frequently, an examiner will conclude only that the examinee can not be excluded as a suspect when deceptive reactions are present. It is important to note that some examinees will fail a polygraph test even though they are telling the literal truth, but they continue to hold back pertinent or incriminating information fro
