PLTW Biomedical Science Principles of Biomedical Science

Polygraph Test Resource

In this activity you will use Vernier sensors for heart rate and respiratory rate and the Graphical Analysis application to
see if changes in physiological data can be used to determine if someone is lying.

Establishing a Baseline
The interviewer will ask a series of three yes/no questions. The subject should answer these questions honestly.

Interviewer: Next to the question, make a note of the time the subject provided their answer. You will use the time period
following their answer in your analysis of the data.

Interviewer’s Questions
1. Is your name [say subject’s first and last name]?
2. Is the class we are currently in called [say name of the class]?
3. Is the name of the teacher of this class [say teacher’s name]?
4. Is the time right now 10:00 PM?

True of False
Two Truths and a Lie is a game that requires others to distinguish lies from truth. One person says three things about
themselves: two of the statements are true and one is false. The others in the group try to determine which of the three
statements is untrue by listening to verbal cues and interpreting body language. In this version, you will use the
physiological data you collect to try to determine which one of your partner’s statements is a lie.

In the space below, write three statements about yourself. Two of the three must be true, and one must be a lie. All three
statements, including the lie, should be believable. You can write them down in any order (for example: truth, lie, truth or
lie, truth, truth).

Subject’s Name:

Subject’s Statement 1:

Subject’s Statement 2:

Subject’s Statement 3:

© 2021 Project Lead The Way, Inc. 1

PLTW Biomedical Science Principles of Biomedical Science

Without giving any clues about the truthfulness of your statements, give them to the interviewer.

While attached to the sensors, the interviewer will ask you a series of five yes/no questions related to your statements. The
data recorded during these questions will be compared to the data recorded during the Establishing a Baseline interview.

Interviewer: Review the statements and come up with five yes/no questions to ask the subject about their statements.
Write your questions below.

© 2021 Project Lead The Way, Inc. 2