There is no doubt that
polygraph examination is seen as an
effective investigative tool for weeding
through lies to uncover the truth.
As
such national security, intelligence and
law enforcement agencies use it to vet
and monitor their detectives and spies,
and the device is regularly given to
criminal suspects and sometimes given to
suspected private employees in
industries.
Polygraph examination is viewed as
“truth” tool, by which confessions are
extracted from a suspect or a
lawbreaker, sex and violent offenders
especially.
Since 1921 when polygraph was created
and put to use as a lie detector in
America, some countries have seen their
governments using it as routine
interrogation tool within the criminal
justice system especially.
Now
there is a high probability that in
Nigeria, Detectives and Officers of the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC) will be taking the polygraph
examination according to the acting
Chairman of the Commission, Mr. Ibrahim
Lamorde.
This
declaration is in response to the worry
of Senator Victor Lar, the Chairman of
Senate Committee on Drugs, Narcotics and
Financial Crimes. During his a recent
visit to the EFCC, Senator Lar along
with some committee members showed
concern over the ongoing credibility and
integrity problems of EFCC officers. So
here comes the machine of lie
detection.
As
one in the profession of forensic and
clinical psychology, one hears about the
polygraph machine and its applications
both in its analog and computerized
forms.
Polygraph as a term literally means
"many writings,” in regards to the ways
in which selected physiological or
physical activities are simultaneously
recorded.
The
Polygraph examiner use convoluted rubber
tubes which are placed over the
examinee's chest and abdominal areas.
Two small metal plates are attached to
the fingers in order to record sweat
gland activity, and a blood pressure
cuff, or related device is used to
record cardiovascular activity.
A
typical polygraph examination usually
includes a pre-test, relevant test, a
chart collection period and a test data
analysis time.
Following the chart collection phase,
the examiner will administer and collect
a number of polygraph charts then
analyze the charts and render an opinion
as to the truthfulness of the person
taking the test.
The
polygraph examiner, both during and
after the test can look at the graphs
and can supposedly tell whether the
vital signs changed significantly on any
of the questions. And on a general
basis, a significant change as in a
faster heart rate, higher blood
pressure, and increased sweating
indicates that the person is lying.
Sometimes, polygraph examiner also
record things like arm and leg movement
therefore further assuming a lying
person.
The
American Polygraph Association has
stated that when a proficient examiner
uses an established testing procedure to
investigate a specific question, the
accuracy and truthfulness of the
decisions is generally in the range of
85-95%.
Since the aim of a lie detector is to
see if the person is telling the truth
or lying when answering certain
questions, how a machine can detect
human lying with accuracy remains a huge
question among psychologists especially.
For
too long the scientific reliability and
validity of the polygraph method of
whether an individual is being truthful
remains a bug matter globally.
The
polygraph as an interrogation method is
about to be introduced within the EFCC
and possibly by other criminal
justice/law enforcement subdivisions, as
such it is essential to understand that
its validity in terms of accuracy will
depend on a lot of things that need to
be done right.
Polygraph is all about autonomic arousal
and biological excitement which may be
caused by deception but it may also be
caused by several other factors like a
person’s health/medication status, and
psychological state as well as cultural
factors like shame or pride.
Note
that there are persons who could pass
the test because they believe so much in
their lies and respire properly during
interrogation.
There is huge price to pay when one
fails a lie detector test— possible job
loss. Recently, the Jamaican police
authorities noted that 60 percent of the
362 officers who underwent the test
failed, and the concern is whether these
217 police officers who took voluntarily
and failed will be disciplined.
In
the United States almost all law
enforcement and intelligence bodies
perform polygraph examinations on their
job applicants and on a suspected or
accused officer.
In
general, no matter where the polygraph
test is being given, even when
everything is done right, out 100 people
took the polygraph anywhere from 5 to 15
people would fail the test. This outcome
is not because they lied, but because
they took the test.
By
every standard the mentality of
corruption in the Nigerian population
remains very deep in our psyche. Since
many potential and already serving
officers and spies are products of the
society, a supposed measure of truth
like the polygraph could be a shocker!
As
Africans we are not very good at lying,
because we are raised to tell the truth
and when we lie it is easy to tell that
we are lying. It will be of interest to
see how a detective accused of
fabricating details of a matter, answer
many pre-interview questions, and
relevant questions that are deemed
related to the matter of inquiry.
For
example, a detective involve in a money
laundry case could be asked if in his or
her capacity as a public official have
been bribed by any one before; in the
area of an ethical, national security,
security clearance, if he or she have at
any time secretly spoken to a news
reporter; or in a sexual/forceful
harassment matter, has he harassed a
female co-worker before, or beat up an
offender on the way to the cell.
In
cases like these there could be lots of
false positive errors where an innocent
person being investigated in a
particular case is incorrectly
identified as deceptive.
As
the officer or detective will likely
become nervous in the face of questions
like these which will likely be failed
by almost every police applicant or
accused/suspect officer?
So
the Nigerian law enforcement and
intelligence authorities will need to be
very careful as there is no known
physiological or autonomic nervous
system response that is unique to
deception.
Also
there will be need to educate public
employees like law enforcement officials
that in many countries polygraph test
is part of the law. And the law does not
exempt them as in the case of private
workers in industries who to an extent
could be protected by an established
polygraph privacy law in places like
America.
We
will have to guard against the peddlers
of polygraph services who will see
Nigeria as a dumping ground and lay all
kind of claims for the accuracy and
validity of lie detectors.
In
every functional law enforcement body,
diagnostic tests like psychological
evaluations and polygraph examinations
are made mandatory, and as part of the
agencies screening, disciplinary,
vetting , checking and quality process
which is for the sole purpose of
building and maintaining an environment
of high integrity and ethical standards.
In
order to begin to enhance law
enforcement integrity, prospective and
already serving law enforcement officers
and spies must submit first to
professional psychological testing which
is about using measured instruments to
uncover hidden personality, mental,
emotional, organizational, immoral, and
other behavioral tendencies.
Psychological testing is definitely not
the same as the commonplace practice in
Nigeria in regards to the frequent use
of psychiatry, a specialty that is
mainly about applying medications to
address mental illness.
Psychological testing is very vital as
it remains the main measure of hidden
human emotions and personality traits,
and it could give more weight to
polygraph outcomes and responses in
terms of overall honesty.
John
Egbeazien Oshodi, Ph.D., is the
Secretary-General of the Nigerian
Psychological Association (NPA), Abuja.
jos5930458@aol.com
Published
December 18th, 2011
