Polygraphs, commonly known as lie detector tests, are in question to whether or not they

are realiable enough to use in court cases. The common test used in criminal investigations is the

Control Question Test (CQT) . The CQT works by comparing physiological disturbances that

occur when questions are asked which are relative to the crime in question. Vague control

questions are asked to allow an innocent person to show more physiological disturbances to the

vague questions than to the questions which are directly relevant to the crime at hand. If the

person in question shows more disturbances when asked the relevant questions, it is a good

indication of deception (Honts 309). Even though courts and criminal investigators do permit

other unreliable evidence such as eyewitness testimonies, the polygraph is not reliable enough to

be allowed as evidence in the delicate process and evidence in criminal investigations.

Polygraphs can too easily be defeated by simple countermeasures to be accepted as

reliable and allowed in criminal investigations. Charles Honts , David Raskin, and John Kircher

trials is that it gives a good indication to whether a suspect is guilty or innocent. Even though the

option, of little usefulness when put up against other types of evidence. This shows that experts

The possible choices were the following : a sufficiently reliable method to be the sole determinant,

Honts, Charles R. "Criterion Development and Validity of the CQT in Field Application."

sole determinant in a person's innocence or guilt. In 1995, W.G. Iacono conducted a poll of

Bradley, M.T., V.V. MacLauren, and S.B. Carle. "Deception and Nondeception in Guilty

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1280
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)