From childhood, our parents instilled in us the idea that it is wrong to lie. However, as we age, we increasingly begin to deceive someone. Sometimes these are minor omissions, and in some cases they are serious lies. They deceive parents, loved ones, friends. Why do people lie? This makes it unpleasant for both themselves and those who were deceived. Situations often arise when it is necessary to deceive, and we are faced with the question “How to deceive a person?” You need to be able to deceive, because this is the basis of psychology. So that you do not think about how you can deceive a person, below are the secrets of “good deception” from liars and liars.

Secrets of deception

Before you start thinking about how to deceive a person, you need to deceive yourself. And do it in such a way that you yourself can believe in the sincerity of your words. You need to think through every detail and believe your lies. After all, if you deceived yourself, then with other people it will be easier in this regard. Everything will turn out quite naturally, as if you are telling the real truth.

There are many psychological aspects hidden in deception. You need to speak as if you are not lying, watch your body, gestures, and facial expressions. A bad deception is quite easy to spot. You need to train yourself to look your interlocutor straight in the eyes. If your eyes “run”, then you won’t be able to deceive your interlocutor, because “running” eyes are a clear sign of lying words. It is best to look into the “leading” eye - for a left-handed person it is the left, and for a right-handed person it is the right.

You should not fiddle with your hair, details on clothes, snap your fingers or constantly twirl something. During deception, these actions occur involuntarily, therefore, when thinking about “How can you deceive a person,” these points should also be taken into account.

You need to learn to deceive and not be embarrassed by it. But only one piece of advice will help here - practice. The more often you cheat, the easier it will be for you to do so. You can start with little things - write on your Twitter what is not happening to you in reality, tell your friends false stories that seem to have happened to you while you were going to meet them. Let's say you took an old woman across the road or gave a beggar some change. Practice regularly, and then you will not have problems with cheating.

Nobody needs to know

No one needs to tell you about your deception. The more people know about him, the worse it is for you, because they may no longer be able to deceive them due to the loss of trust in you. In addition, you may be extradited. Therefore, only one person should know the truth - you yourself.

Use traps. A professional liar always uses a little safety net in his lies. In this case, if they start catching you in deception, you can immediately admit to a minor lie, for which you will be reprimanded a little, but no one will notice the big lie.

Cheating loved ones

Remember that your deception can cause great pain to those close to you. After all, we often cannot understand “Why do people lie?”, especially close people.

We are often upset because a loved one has cheated. You should not deceive your loved ones; if they love you, they will always understand and forgive. Don’t make them suffer and look in psychology books for questions about why their loved one cheated.

A polygraph (lie detector) is a hardware and software complex that makes it possible to interview a subject in real time and simultaneously record changes in his physiological parameters. Based on the analysis of the information received, conclusions can be drawn about whether the subject is telling a lie. The reliability of such data depends on the personality type and can range from 70-98%.

Got something to hide

How to fool a lie detector? This question is usually asked by people who want to hide certain information. As long as this device has existed, people have been trying to find ways to outwit it. Let's look at the most common of them.

Alcohol to the rescue

In an effort to fool a lie detector, one can try to minimize variations in the analyzed physiological parameters. A small amount of any alcoholic drink will help with this. You should drink the day before the test. The result is a significant decrease in sensitivity, inhibition and distortion of reactions. Due to this, it will be difficult to draw unambiguous conclusions about the information obtained using a polygraph.

Let's go to the pharmacy

How to fool a lie detector? Some medications will come to the rescue. In this case, it is very important to take into account that the body’s reaction to unknown drugs can be unpredictable. For example, some psychotropic substances, when overdosed, provoke inappropriate behavior, which, of course, is immediately noticed by others.

We do without “chemistry”

Is it possible to fool a polygraph without taking either alcohol or medications? If you do not want to use tranquilizers on your body, try not sleeping for two days. Temporary exclusion of this natural physiological process leads to the development of a trance-like state. In this case, the reaction to all questions asked will remain equally insignificant. However, it is important to take into account the fact that your condition will be clearly visible to an experienced polygraph examiner.

The specialist analyzes the magnitude of reactions to special control questions, the purpose of which the subject does not know. If the information received raises doubts in the polygraph examiner, he will stop the interview and reschedule it for another day. However, such a delay is sometimes very beneficial to the subject.

Emotions - into a fist

Let's consider another approach. How to fool a lie detector without changing your usual lifestyle? For these purposes, you should learn to suppress your own emotions. In this case, no stimulus will cause a reaction. The main recommendation is to answer the questions asked automatically, without giving them serious importance. To do this, you should concentrate, for example, on a picture of a wall in front of your eyes, or on any other object. The main thing is that it is neutral. An alternative is to immerse yourself in an event that happened in the past and live it again. To achieve positive results, it is important to develop the ability to concentrate through constant long-term training.

Wishful instead of actual

In an effort to achieve a lack of reaction as such, keep in mind an important point: a specialist can identify deception by using special control questions. It’s better to learn not to hold back and wishful thinking. Taking a polygraph will give the desired result if you show feigned reactions to unimportant stimuli. So, when answering a question, think about something that makes you angry, or try to multiply two three-digit numbers in your head. Another option is to cause pain. It triggers physiological reactions similar to psychological stress. There are various tricks for this, such as pressing the tongue against the hard palate or the toes against the floor. However, even inexperienced polygraph examiners know all these techniques and are able to detect deception. In addition, several video cameras are often directed at the person being tested, which record any changes in facial expression and involuntary movements in close-up.

Let's go to the bottom

Another option is to use a so-called psychological anchor. People experienced in this regard can relax or tense up at the right time. Uncovering deception is always difficult because mental tricks are not easy to identify. If you drop such a life-saving “anchor” at the right time, it is likely that you will be able to answer the questions asked on the polygraph the way you need.

Competent opinion

According to most experts, it is impossible to fool a lie detector. They note that this device reads information received from the body. These are motor and vocal activity, heart rate and breathing, electrical impulsivity of the skin, the process of filling capillaries with blood. All of the above processes are controlled by consciousness, but not by the subconscious. The latter acts as a repository of memories of what happened.

According to polygraph examiners, you can think about anything, but the lie detector will communicate with your body, which will not deceive it. An attempt to lie will be instantly reflected on the screen.

If there is the slightest smell of alcohol, the test will be rescheduled. What about taking all kinds of psychotropic drugs? Polygraph questions also cover this. If you lie that you didn’t influence your body in any way, the survey will also be rescheduled.

In an effort to induce pain to simulate a reaction, some people put a button in their shoe. However, it will not be difficult for any experienced operator to identify a suspicious pattern. If he discovers your trick, he will ask you to take off your shoes.

Polygraph examiners themselves note that such tricks only make them laugh. Needless to say that all possible tricks have long been known to them? However, foreign intelligence officers on missions abroad are trained to fool lie detectors.

Manufacturer's assurance

There are companies in Russia that produce polygraphs and perform testing on these devices. One of them is the “Polygraph Test”. The company's official website states that all attempts to deceive the lie detector are futile. With almost one hundred percent probability, this device will reveal the desire to distort information. In addition, the polygraph is equipped with additional accessories that allow you to record all the tricks of the person being interviewed.

Alternative point of view

Some believe that assurances of the high efficiency of a lie detector are a kind of advertising of the device and an integral part of the psychological preparation of the subjects. Thus, before starting a survey, any polygraph examiner convinces a person that it is impossible to deceive a “smart” device. In a casual, friendly tone, he says that the lie detector will reveal all attempts to hide the truth. You should not blame the specialist for carrying out such a psychological game, because this is part of his work, which is prescribed in the job description.

In addition, this peculiar show of dust has deeper socio-psychological reasons. Many centuries ago it was known that the reverence and fear of the crowd before something mysterious is one of the factors in maintaining power. Currently, little has changed.

From the very beginning, it is important to try to overcome the fear of such an “omniscient” device as a polygraph (lie detector). The suggestion that it is 100% effective should not have any effect on you. Remember that this device does not know anything about you personally and is not able to read your thoughts. It records the status only at the time of verification. More precisely, those physiological reactions that develop when answering a particular question. Based on the data received, the computer provides a tentative estimate, which is then analyzed by a specialist.

Is it possible to fool a polygraph? Yes, like any other car. Even the notorious lie detector can get confused when recording the reactions of a pathological liar. Everything is explained simply: if a person is really sure that he is telling the truth, then no device will record the opposite.

Another group of those who can cope with the polygraph are professional actors who are fluent in the Stanislavsky system and have the ability to 100% get used to the image of a certain character. This, of course, requires long training.

Social psychopaths can also deceive a “smart” device, since they are simply unable to adequately perceive social norms. Accordingly, questions about actions that go beyond the law and morality will not cause the expected reaction. For the same reason, it is not recommended for older people and minors to take a lie detector test.

Although science does not stand still, the actual performance of a lie detector is still far from what is stated. This is confirmed by a large number of mistakes, as a result of which people were sent to prison or even sentenced to death. As practical and laboratory studies show, the accuracy of the information provided by the polygraph is at the level of seventy percent, no more. In addition, it has been proven that teaching a person to successfully resist a polygraph is quite possible, although quite difficult.

Controversial issue

Is it morally and ethically acceptable to test an individual with a lie detector? After all, each of us has a personal world, the invasion of which causes a natural desire to defend ourselves. Our personal motives, secret desires and interests do not need to be known to outsiders. Let us turn to the Anglo-American legal system. It has a separate category called privacy. It means the right to privacy and the inadmissibility of intrusion into the intimate sphere of an individual.

Of course, in some situations, the use of a polygraph is more than justified, for example, when investigating such serious crimes as terrorist attacks, murders, rapes, etc. If a person is falsely accused of something, then a lie detector test is sometimes the only way prove the suspect's innocence.

It happens that the use of a polygraph is nothing more than an insult to a person, psychological violence and a gross violation of his personal space. For example, the now popular employee security check initiated by the boss, etc.

At the request of customers, some polygraph examiners agree to directly violate professional standards and basic ethical norms. Such unscrupulous specialists are literally engaged in turning subjects inside out. They ask questions about everything from political views to intimate experiences. This can be observed especially often during hiring and routine testing of employees (so-called screening).

Personal questions may make up a large part of the questionnaire. The only way to prevent strangers from entering your personal space is to try to fool a lie detector, because refusing such a humiliating test can lead to dismissal.

Conclusion

The polygraph in forensic science is one of the main tools for investigating serious crimes. Thanks to this device, a certain psychological pressure can be exerted on the criminal. However, there is still no clear answer to the question of whether it is possible to fool a lie detector.

Pharmacological counteraction is based on the use by the person being tested before the start of testing of medications that distort the normal state of the person being tested.

These drugs include:

• various sedatives, such as tincture of valerian, motherwort, novopassit, etc. Such light compositions usually cannot significantly change the state of the person being tested, therefore, they are not effective for the person involved. They can even be used to calm an overly agitated person before or during testing, because The half-life of these drugs from the body is low, 25 - 30 minutes; accordingly, the drug will produce part of its effect during the pre-test conversation and will have a slight effect on the test results.

• tranquilizers and mild neuroleptics, which include drugs intended for the treatment of psychosis and other mental disorders, for example fluoxetine, prodel, profluzak, fluval, maprotiline, etc. Their main pharmacological features include a calming effect, accompanied by a decrease in reactions to external stimuli, weakening psychomotor agitation and affective tension, as well as suppression of the feeling of fear, which is the driving force of the psychophysiological reactions of a person who is afraid of being punished for his actions.

The fact of the use of such drugs will be noticeable when testing by an excessively high digital component of the galvanic skin response (GSR) graph. In this case, a person will not be able to adequately perceive and respond to questions, so it will be impossible to draw correct conclusions on such a test. At the discretion of the specialist conducting the inspection, the test is either postponed for a period of 3 days to 1 week, or a conclusion is written about counteraction and, as a result, a conclusion about involvement.

(Pay attention to the “1-2-3” areas, where there is a noticeable decrease in the intensity of the response to the stimulus along the GSR channel, as well as a very high digital component in the same channel - the “4-5-6” area)

• psychotropic drugs with stimulant action, such as phenamine, meridil, indopan, sydnocarb, sydnofen, etc. The effect of drugs of this group on the human body is noticeable by external signs: hyperexcitability with tremors, anxiety and irritability, spontaneous breathing, sticky sweat, wet palms. According to statistics, drugs in this group are not often used before undergoing polygraph testing, because the person involved in the event under study is already in an excited state, the intensification of which can only lead to a postponement of testing.

Too low a digital component of the GSR graph, together with the external signs of the person being tested, will indicate opposition, which will be reflected in the test results.

(Pay attention to area “1” of VDH and NDH, and area “2” of TRM - indicating increased excitability, while the digital component of the GSR channel of area “3-4” is too low)

• Adrenergic blockers. Examples include nadolol, pindolol, phenazepam, elenium, and relanium. These drugs reduce the tone of the arteries, which contributes to their expansion and a drop in pressure in the circulatory system, reducing the heart rate. Some adrenergic blockers also disrupt the breathing rhythm. All this leads to a reduction in the effect of stress.

As a result of the influence of adrenergic blockers on the test person’s polygram, the following occurs:

1. the amplitude decreases and the GSR line decreases;
2. the photoplethysmogram (PPG) ceases to respond adequately to stimuli;
3. the cardiac channel (changes in blood pressure (BP) and PPG) and GSR become more dependent on respiration than on stimuli. Reactions along the GSR channel coincide with the moments of inspiration.

With an increase in the number of respiratory cycles on the polygram, it is clear that the GSR repeats the breathing cycles in frequency.

(Pay attention to the areas “1-2-3-4”, where the dependence of all channels on breathing is very clearly visible; they repeat its cycles. Reactions on the GSR channels arrows “5-6-7” coincide with the moments of inhalation)

With such counteraction, if the specialist decides not to reschedule testing until the adrenergic blockers wear off, then this is done only to obtain additional information about the event under study or about the person being tested.

Mechanical resistance

Mechanical counteraction to polygraph tests is an artificial impact on sensitive areas of the human body and the purpose of distorting the results of his psychophysiological reactions to stimuli by enhancing reactions to unimportant questions so that reactions to important questions look weaker than to unimportant ones.

Mechanical resistance can be divided into groups:

• Tension of large muscles (muscles of the legs, arms, abdominals, buttocks, sphincters). Such techniques are noticeable on the polygram by the sequence of the test person’s reaction to the stimulus.

When counteracted by tension of large muscles, a delay in breathing first occurs, and then the GSR channel reacts, while in a natural human reaction to a stimulus, the GSR channel first reacts, and only then breathing.

The tension of large muscles located below the shoulder girdle, as a counteraction to the polygraph test, is also noticeable by sharp jumps in the tremor channel at the moment of reaction along the GSR channel.

(Pay attention to the highlighted area where, due to a sharp jump in tremor, the response in GSR and other channels has changed)

• Creating artificial pain. This group includes methods such as pressing a button in a shoe, pressure on the phalanges of the fingers, under the nails. Such actions lead to a jump first along the GSR channel, then along the PPG.

• Various manipulations in the mouth. These are actions such as frequent swallowing of saliva, biting the tongue and lips, the inner surfaces of the cheeks, clenching the teeth, which also leads to jumps in the GSR channel. If there are suspicions of manipulation in the mouth in particularly important situations, a “silent answer test” is done using video recording of testing, in which the test person answers questions mentally, not out loud, with his mouth open to control opposition. In this situation, the test taker has to mentally answer himself and at the same time truthfully, because There is no point in deceiving yourself. In this case, powerful psychophysiological reactions arise, which are recorded by a polygraph.

(Note the jump along the PPG channel, area “2”; after the GSR response to the stimulus, area “1”)

• Breath control. When the test person controls breathing, his attention switches from stimuli to breathing, and the breathing response is distorted, and this, in turn, is reflected in the cardiac channel. The number of breathing cycles becomes smaller. The PPG channel narrows and repeats the respiratory cycles in waves. Breathing control is also noticeable when comparing the ratio of inhalations and exhalations. During normal behavior, inhalation is shorter than exhalation, but during control, on the contrary, exhalation is shorter than inhalation.

(Pay attention to the highlighted areas and arrows, where the repetition of waves along the PPG channel is clearly visible, similar to respiratory cycles)

Behavioral opposition

Behavioral opposition is the line of behavior of the person involved, aimed more at the specialist than at distorting the polygram recording. These include:

• inappropriate behavior (for example, a sharp change in mood from depression to excessive emotionality);
• taking control of the conversation, asking questions during testing instead of answering “yes” or “no”;
• evoking pity, simulating illness;
• charm, laughter;
• slow responses.

Questions related to haste and the desire to finish testing as quickly as possible are also signs of insincerity and they will not go unnoticed by the examiner, because The pre-test conversation always talks about how to behave when passing the test.

Psychological methods of counteraction

Psychological methods of counteracting polygraph tests are based on creating an artificial emotion for insignificant stimuli or dissociation. A person does not want to hear “dangerous” questions asked. But it is difficult to reorient the focus of attention from the danger that causes real fear to something less significant, and in the end the necessary reactions still stand out.

• meditation;
• spontaneous (unexpected, random) behavior;
• “anchors” or psychophysiological programming. When pain is created at the moment of asking certain questions, pain sensations are “memorized” at the reflex level. Subsequently, when passing a polygraph test, this allows you to bypass important significant stimuli through stronger reactions to others. Reactions to “anchors” are given by the strength and magnitude of the amplitude along the GSR channel, which, as a rule, is significantly higher than other neighboring reactions.

All of the above countermeasures polygraph tests, both in various combinations and separately, can be identified both during the testing process and during processing of the received polygrams.

But asking yourself the question “Is it possible to fool a polygraph?”, you need to understand that a polygraph, or, as it is often called, a lie detector, is just a device that itself does not show where the truth is and where the lie is. Only a specialist can draw conclusions based on the test results. The device is devoid of human shortcomings. Therefore, it is impossible to deceive the device. And it is only theoretically possible to mislead a specialist who knows modern methods of polygraph research.

To do this, you need to learn to control your breathing, heartbeat and general condition at the same time, while maintaining the ability to concentrate to answer questions asked without external signs of resistance. This may take years of training, but we will not predict their results in advance. After all, all human capabilities have not yet been fully studied.

Today it is very popular to test employees with a polygraph. Lie detectors have long been fashionable in the banking industry for personnel selection and in many other structures. Well, it's hard to argue with fashion. We need to keep up with her.

I’ll tell you about my personal experience of communicating with the polygraph operator and directly with this entertaining machine. Let's look at how you can fool a polygraph.

While people are deceived in general matters, they are never deceived in private ones.
Niccolo Machiavelli

The story of communicating with a lie detector or how I managed to deceive it

My first "meeting" with a polygraph

Before testing was carried out on me, from a technical point of view, I understood for myself that polygraph (lie detector) sensors should measure pulse, breathing rate, changes in the resistance to electric current of a person’s skin, when the skin sweats or not.

Also, perhaps, the activity of certain parts of the brain and blood pressure.

But this is unlikely, because... such a machine will be quite expensive. I think that in the post-Soviet space they almost always use average or the simplest from a technical point of view polygraph models. As always, ours save money.

Guess the word from the riddle:
Lie detector in a different way (8 letters)?
Polygraph

How I was "treated"

During a session of this “honesty therapy,” several sensors were connected to my body: on my finger, on my wrist, on my chest and on my stomach. Both on the chest and on the stomach, it’s clear why - men more often “breathe with the stomach,” the so-called lower breathing, when when inhaling, the diaphragm bends down, protruding the stomach. This is a lazy way of breathing.

Women breathe through their chest more often, because... under the diaphragm they bear children, and they cannot be pressed down. This is the upper way of breathing.

There is also a mixed type of breathing. Athletes are always taught to breathe physiologically correctly so that the lungs expand evenly when inhaling. However, I got distracted by physiology, which will only partially help us understand the work of the polygraph. In fact, everything is much simpler.

How testing happened

During the session you are asked questions. There is a pause of about 30 seconds between questions.

Questions must be answered immediately, without hesitation. During the first questions, the operator calibrates the polygraph for a specific subject.

The operator needs to understand what is behind the deviations in the instrument readings when a person pauses before answering. Therefore, at the initial stage you will be asked both questions from the list on the operator’s computer and questions like: “Why did you think before answering this question?” or “What made you laugh?” etc. In such cases, I said that I did not quite understand the wording and tried to rephrase the question for myself.

How to behave during the test?

Do not forget that the operator who is sitting in front of you is a simple person and, like everyone else, he also sometimes has emotions. Simply, he is obliged to hide them from us, because... man is at work. But we know that. Show him that you are also a simple and, most importantly, adequate person.

• If you are a beautiful girl, then it is hardly worth trying to arouse sympathy from the operator. The main thing is to show your adequacy and positive attitude towards this procedure. The operator should not think that something is annoying you or that you are afraid of something.
• Be calm. Do not make sudden movements with your hands or head, do not roll your eyes, do not look around the room, do not ask questions. All this can provoke additional questions from the operator and increase your blood pressure and pulse. This is of no use to us at all!
• After a trial set of questions, the actual testing session begins, which is recorded on a video camera. Keep calm. Look straight ahead. Focus your gaze on a neutral object: a wall or curtain. Oh, by the way, don’t wear anything bright to your session. Even a small red scarf can greatly affect your heart rate if it enters your field of vision.
• Everything should be neutral. Preferred colors: gray, beige, pale green. Imagine yourself in an environment where you would be as calm and comfortable as possible.

  For example, I imagined a green clearing in the forest. The trees rustle, the birds sing. The sun caresses the grass. The voice of the operator asking his questions is a light, unobtrusive background. The question sounds, but you do not lose touch with your scene in the forest, you calmly contemplate the picture of pristine nature.

• You answer, without thinking, what you need and again enjoy the sun in the clearing. It’s a pity that you can’t close your eyes during the session. It would be much easier to indulge in such auto-training.

My secret to cheating the infernal machine

You know, my answers plunged the operator into a little shock.
“What are you thinking about there?” he asked me.
I answer: “Yes, nothing special. Only about your questions." The session stopped.

The operator began to check something in the device. He turned everything on again and checked the sensors on me. We continued. All this time I remained completely calm. I tried not to think about the operator’s thoughts or concerns, so that my pulse or breathing would not change. You don't need to think about anything at all! This is the main thing! We hold tight to our scene in the forest and breathe evenly.

The session continued in the same spirit. Question answer. Pause about 30 seconds. I breathe a fresh breeze in the sun, in our family place in the forest, where my dad took us when I was still a child. Okay... Calm down... The forest is noisy...

I was asked about a dozen more questions, after which the operator stopped the session. Further, turning off his sensors, he asked how much I needed this work, whether it was interesting to me or not. In general, nothing particularly useful.

I wasn't silent either. Showed that I was a normal, ordinary person. I found out that the operator doesn’t really like the job, is planning to go to a travel agency, loves traveling, etc.

Manufacturers of modern lie detectors assure that neither liars, nor truth-tellers, nor professional actors, nor politicians can avoid an objective assessment during a lie detector test.
And only two categories of people will be able to deceive a lie detector: firstly, absolute scoundrels, and secondly, mentally ill people.
"What where When?". Brain-ring

As it turns out, the polygraph is not a toy. It is very difficult to evaluate the actual validity of a test if you have nothing to lose. Anyone can take the test, but the only person who can really demonstrate physiological signs that correlate with a lie is a person for whom the result is really important, who has something to lose or gain.

How does a polygraph work?

More commonly known as a lie detector, a polygraph measures the physiological changes that occur in a person's body while answering questions. Typically these are body temperature, heartbeat, pulse, breathing rate, blood pressure and electrical activity of the skin. Less commonly used are additional monitors that record changes in the size and movement of the pupils and even brain activity.

Typically, lie detector readings are not accepted in most courts as even indirect evidence of guilt or innocence. However, polygraphs are successfully used for other purposes, even in the field of solving crimes. For example, in the UK they are used to review the conduct of released persons previously convicted of serious sexual offences. In the United States, the polygraph is used during job interviews with the CIA, NSA and other government and security organizations.

Solving crimes using a lie detector

Even though polygraph data is not accepted in court, it still helps investigators weed out unnecessary witnesses and suspects. Such interrogations using a lie detector are called focused investigations. This is a quick and easy way to determine early in the investigation whether it is worth spending time on this suspect or whether it makes sense to focus on further searches.

In addition, serious consequences await those who help suspects deceive the polygraph. For example, an Oklahoma City police officer was recently sentenced to two years in prison for aiding and abetting.

Conventional Interrogation Strategy

Most often, experts combine questions, dividing them into those that are relevant to the case and those that are aimed at obtaining a basic picture of the person's physiological response. Questions are asked in no apparent order. Some direct questions might include: “Have you ever robbed a bank?” or some basic questions might include, “Have you ever taken something that didn’t belong to you?” The questions are similar to each other, but it’s difficult to answer “no” to the second one without lying.

Thus, the physiological reaction to questions of the second type helps the expert to determine the basic model of behavior, which will then help to correctly interpret the reaction to important questions that are directly related to the case. This strategy is much more effective than using simple questions like “What is your name/age/gender?”

How to fool a polygraph?

The most effective way to fool a lie detector is to increase the physiological response to control, basic questions. For example, if you are asked, “Have you ever cheated to get rid of a problem?”, this is a test question. Before you answer it, try to solve a mathematical example in your head, like 7x8-4. Mental activity as a result of such a trick will increase significantly, which will lead to increased breathing and heart rate, and so on. If your reaction to control questions is stronger than that which you demonstrate to direct questions, you will be able to fool the polygraph.

However, this trick will only work if the expert using the lie detector and interpreting its results is not very experienced. It’s one thing to deceive a machine, quite another thing to deceive a person who spent half his life watching people lie. An experienced examiner will easily recognize abnormal physiological reactions, especially if they do not correspond to body language or the meaning of the question being asked.

Reliability of polygraph tests

Many experts are confident that the percentage of polygraph errors demonstrates, rather, the unfounded guilt of innocent people, rather than the successful deception of the guilty. That is, if lie detector data were accepted as irrefutable evidence, more innocent people would go to prison than criminals would be released.

If you are too nervous or overly control the body’s reaction, the truth will be read by the polygraph as a lie. Given that tests based on the two-question strategy have a 15% failure rate, it is not surprising that some researchers and experts call this strategy in particular, and the use of lie detectors in general, a mistake.

Even the most effective test strategy, which reveals the reaction of the interrogated person to the details of the investigation (the exact amount of stolen goods, the content of the conversation, etc.), shows erroneous polygraph readings or an incorrect interpretation of the results in almost 10% of cases.