Countermeasures
Countermeasures are an attempt by the examinee to manipulate the polygraph examination or examiner to achieve a favorable outcome. Essentially, it is attempting to cheat the examination. A review of the literature on countermeasures shows the following conclusions:
• Spontaneous Countermeasures (without planning or forethought) has been shown to be ineffective and when used by innocent examinee’s can move their score towards the negative and deceptive direction.
• It has been shown that giving information on how to defeat a polygraph examination has little effect on deceptive subjects and adverse effects on the scores of truthful subjects.
• Effective use of single point countermeasures has only been shown to be effective at lowering the accuracy of a polygraph examination when practiced with a prior polygraph examination and coaching or coaching from another trained individual. This also produced the opposite effect for innocent examinees and moved their scores closer to deception.
• Approximately 50% of those properly trained in physical single point countermeasures are successful in producing a false negative outcome where they pass the test and are actually deceptive when an activity monitor is not used.
• 85% to 92% of physical single point counter measures can be detected through the use of an activity monitor as part of the polygraph instruments.
Study Abstracts and Sources
Honts et al. (1988) subjects reported using a variety of countermeasures that ranged from vague mental efforts to “control their physiology” to the application of single point countermeasures, such as pressing their toes to the floor on specific questions. Honts reported that none of the deceptive subjects who used spontaneous countermeasures produced a truthful outcome nor were inconclusive rates increased.
Credibility Assessment (2014) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B978012394433700004X?via%3Dihub
Honts et al. (2001) collected spontaneous countermeasure data from a large study of the effects of outside issues on the CQT. In a sample of 192 subjects (96 innocent) they found that 82.3% of guilty subjects and 42.7% of their innocent subjects attempted one or more spontaneous countermeasures. Their statistical analyses replicated the earlier findings by failing to reveal any significant effects of spontaneous countermeasures with guilty subjects. However, the spontaneous use of countermeasures by innocent subjects significantly moved their numerical scores in the negative (deceptive) direction.
Credibility Assessment (2014)
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/291997411_Effects_of_spontaneous_countermeasures_used_against_the_comparison_question_test
In summary five laboratory studies examined the effects of spontaneous countermeasures and produced generally consistent findings. Spontaneous countermeasure attempts by subjects attempting deception are common. However, for guilty subjects they produced no effects on outcomes or inconclusive rates. Consistently the use of countermeasures by innocent subjects increased the likelihood that they would be found deceptive. Despite widespread public information about countermeasures and commentary in the popular literature indicating that polygraph tests could be easily beaten by spontaneous countermeasure users (e.g., Lykken, 1998), there is simply no scientific evidence to support that contention.
Credibility Assessment (2014)
Purpose. Detailed information about the comparison question test (CQT) and possible countermeasures are now available on the Internet. This study examined whether the provision of such information would affect the validity of the Test for Espionage and Sabotage, a directed lie variant of the CQT.Method. Forty participants were divided into four equal groups: guilty, guilty informed, innocent, and innocent informed. During a first appointment, participants either did or did not commit a mock crime: then some were provided with a book containing detailed information on the CQT, including possible countermeasures. After 1 week with the book, all participants were administered a CQT during their second appointment. Following the polygraph, participants responded to a questionnaire that asked them about their behaviour and perceptions during their examination.Results. There were no significant effects of providing information on the validity of the CQT. However, the reported use of countermeasures was associated with a lower probability of truthfulness. Results of the debriefing questionnaire were found to support predictions made by the theory of the CQT.Conclusions. Concerns that readily available information will enable guilty individuals to produce false-negative errors seem unfounded. Moreover, the results actually indicate that the use of countermeasures was associated with a lower probability of truthfulness, which was exactly the opposite outcome predicted by the CQT critics
Honts, Charles & Alloway, Wendy. (2010). Information does not affect the validity of a comparison question test. Legal and Criminological Psychology. 12. 311 - 320. 10.1348/135532506X123770.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/229697074_Information_does_not_affect_the_validity_of_a_comparison_question_test
The effects of detailed information and practice on the effectiveness of the control question technique for physiological detection of deception were studied in a mock theft situation. A mock theft was committed by 36 of the subjects, and 36 subjects were simply informed about the theft. All subjects were instructed to deny having committed the theft when they were administered. Prior to the test, guilty and lnnocent subjects received either no information (STD), or detailed information about the CQ test and suggestions about methods to appear innocent (INFO), or the detailed information and suggestions plus two practice polygraph tests (INFO+PRAC). Each subject was then given a polygraph test by an examiner who was blind regarding the subject's guilt or innocence or the treatment administered. Accuracy of decisions was 95% for' the STD group, 95% for the INFO group, and 71% for the INFO+PRAC group. There was significant discrimination between guilty and innocent subjects, but the innocent subjects in the INFO+PRAC group were less easily identified. Further analyses showed significant discrimination between guilty and innocent subjects with measures of skin conductance, respiration, blood pressure, and vasomotor activity. The results indicated a high degree of effectiveness of the control question technique even when subjects were given detailed information about the test and ways to defeat it. However, the combination of information and practice significantly weakened the effectiveness of the technique with innocent subjects.
The Accuracy of Physiological Detection of Deception for subjects with Prior Knowledge. By Louis I. Royner, Ph.D. (1986)
https://www.polygraph.org/assets/docs/APAJournal.Articles/Vol.15.1986/polygraph%201986%20151.pdf
In Exp I, 48 undergraduates were divided into 4 groups, 3 of which enacted a mock crime. Two of these guilty groups were trained in the use of a countermeasure, either biting the tongue (pain countermeasure) or pressing the toes against the floor (muscle countermeasure) during the control question zones of the control question test (CQT). All countermeasure Ss were given extensive information about the nature of the CQT. Results show that no significant effects for countermeasures were found. In Exp II, 57 Ss were divided into 3 groups, 2 of which enacted a mock crime, to assess the effects of additional training and concurrent use of both countermeasures. Results show that countermeasure Ss produced 47% false negative outcomes as compared to no false negatives for guilty control Ss. False negative outcomes occurred when Ss were able to produce physiological responses that were larger to control questions than to relevant questions. Findings should be qualified by the possibility that the countermeasure task would be more difficult if the relevant questions dealt with a real crime in an actual investigation. It is concluded that a substantial number of Ss can be trained to defeat a CQT in a laboratory paradigm. (33 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)
Honts, C. R., Hodes, R. L., & Raskin, D. C. (1985). Effects of physical countermeasures on the physiological detection of deception. Journal of Applied Psychology, 70(1), 177–187. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.70.1.177
https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1985-13834-001
Three subjects, a male and two females, each carried out 23 specific physical movements as countermeasures. The activity sensor was able to detect 92% of these movements.
Stan Abrams, Fh.D. arrl Lt. Michael Davidson (1988) Countermeasures in polygraph testing
https://www.polygraph.org/assets/docs/APA-Journal.Articles/Vol.17.1988/polygraph%201988%20171.pdf
Twelve subjects who had recently completed ten weeks of a twelve-week Polygraph Examiners Course offered at the Canadian Police College in Ottawa were tested. From their training they were well aware of the various countermeasures attempted by examinees during a polygraph examination. The subject was asked to perform the countermeasures three separate times during the chart. The percentage of detection rates for the movement sensing chair (activity monitor) was 85%
Stephenson, M., Barry, G. (1988) Use of a motion chair in the detection of physical counter-measures
https://www.polygraph.org/assets/docs/APA-Journal.Articles/Vol.17.1988/polygraph%201988%20171.pdf