Terms in

Polygraph
Amplitude
- height of response from baseline; the
extreme range of a variable quantity.
 Analog Instrument
- device that records data in a continuous
form. It registers waveforms as continuous
lines on a strip chart, whereas a digital
instrument records them as discrete points.

Autonomic Nervous System (ANS)

- the division of the peripheral nervous
system that functions involuntarily and is
responsible for the innervations of cardiac
muscle, smooth and glands.
Baseline
- the physiological level at which an
examinee’s system is during stimulus
onset. The term tonic level is often used
interchangeably with term baseline.

 Blood Pressure
- the pressure blood exert against
the walls of the arteries, usually
measure in millimeters of mercury.
Card test
- one of several types of stimulation test used in
conjunction with the standard PDD examination. In
the traditional card test the examine is invited to
select a card from deck of cards and then is tested
on which number, letter, color or character is on the
card.

 Chart
- a graphic representation containing
selected physiological data generated by
an examinee during the data collection
phase of polygraph examination.
Deception
- the act of deliberately providing or
omitting information with the intention
of misleading.

 Deception Indicated (DI)

- an opinion which indicates that an
analysis of the polygraph charts revealed
the physiological responses to the
relevant questions in indicative of
deception.
Diastole
- a period of relaxation and dilation
of the heart between contractions
during which it fills with blood.
 DicroticNotch
- the upward movement of the cardio
pen during diastole as a result of a
pressure wave in the aortic blood after
it rebounds off the aortic valve.
 Emotion

- agitation, disturbance or any

opposite state as the usual calm state
of the person.

 Fear
- this refers to a subject’s
emotional response to specific
dangers that appear to be beyond a
person’s defensive powers.
 Examiner
- someone who has successfully
completed formal education and training
conducting polygraph examinations and
either authorized or formally certified by the
examiner, agency to conduct such
examination.

 Lying
- refers to the act of creating a false or
misleading impression, accompanied by the
intention to wrongfully influence the acts,
opinions or emotions of another individual.
Galvanic Skin Response
- a measure of physiological arousal
determined by the amount of decrease in the
skin’s resistance of electricity purportedly due
to an increase in sweat gland activity.

 GlobalTest Data Analysis

- a system of rendering an opinion
by viewing the polygraph chart as a
whole, as opposed to making
systematic comparisons among
questions.
Graphos
- refers to a graph or chart
 Guilt Complex Reactor
- hypothetical personality trait that causes
innocent examinees to physiologically respond to
any question that they consider accusatory.

 Guilt Complex Question

- used in many contemporary formats at one
time or another in an attempt to identify those
examinees that would produce a false positive
outcome because of this tendency.
 NO DECEPTION INDICATED (NDI)
- an opinion that indicates that an analysis
on polygraph charts revealed the physiological
responses to the relevant question were not
indicative of deception.

 Poly
- literally means “multiple” or “plenty”
Reaction
- this is any activity elicited in an individual
by a stimulus.

 Stimulus

- is a force that drives a person to

react according to his understanding.

 Suspect/Subject
- he or she is the one undergoing
the test.