Construction of test

Questions
Objectives:

 1.Identify the different types of polygraph

questions.
 2. Learn how to formulate polygraph questions.
The general rule to follow in formulating all types
of questions to be asked.
 1. Question must be simple and direct.
 2. They must not involve legal terminology
 3. They must be answerable by yes or no should be a short as possible
 4. Their meaning must be clear and unmistakable and phrased in a language a subject
can easily understand
 5 They must not in the form of accusation
 6. Questioned must never contain an inference which presupposes knowledge on the
part of the subject.
 7. All question must refer to one offense only
 8. All question must refer to only one element of the offense
 9. They must not contain inference of one’s religion, race or belief.
Two General types of Questions
 1. General Questioned Test (GQT)- the most
commonly applied. This consist of a series of relevant
and irrelevant questions asked in a planned order.
Questions are arranged as to make a comparison of
responses to relevant questions with a subjects norm
made during the answering of irrelevant question.
 2.Peak-tension Test (PTT)- which is usually used as
supplementary test.
 Types
of
Polygraph Question
1. Irrelevant/ Neutral Question

 A type of polygraph question that is designed to be non-emotion

evoking and unrelated to the issue being tested. Irrelevant question
must not appear humorous, embarrassing and should be a known
truth. Irrelevant question is designed to establish stability and
facilitate recovery from artifact or reaction. It helps identify certain
countermeasures strategies employed by the polygraph subject.
Irrelevant questions is designed to obtain a YES answer.
 TYPES OF IRRELEVANT/NEUTRAL
QUESTION
 a. Obvious Irrelevant Question

Label Questions Answer

IR/N1 Are you now sitting down? Yes
IR/N2 Is Today Monday? Yes
IR/N3 Are the lights on in this room? Yes

 b. Identity Irrelevant Question

Label Questions Answer
IR/N1 Is your first name Joan? Yes
IR/N2 Is your nickname Joe? Yes
IR/N3 As your surname Delia? Yes
2. Relevant Questions

The relevant question are questions that deals to the

matter under investigation. It addresses the important
issue of the test in which the subject is being tested.
 GUIDELINES IN FORMULATING
RELEVANT QUESTIONS
A. Relevant question should be clear, simple, concise and direct as possible.
Examples: Did you steal any of that money?
B. Do not use the word AND/OR. Relevant question must deal with one act per question.
Examples: Did you point a gun to that woman and touch her private parts?
Did you used a fan knife or sharp object to cause injury victim?
C. Relevant Question should not be accusatory
Example: After you cashed that check, did you spend any of that money?
 d. It should not use legal or technical terms whenever possible.
Examples:
Did you rape that woman?
Did you murder that man?
 e. Do not use question that contain obscene, profane, racial, derogatory, degrading,
or insulting words or phrases.
 Examples:
Did you sucked the private parts of that woman?
Did you use bow and arrow as an Aeta to hurt the victim?
Did you have unusual sexual relationship with another married man?
 f. The question must not ask for an opinion.
Example:
Do you think the reason why the victim was stabbed because he was arrogant?
 g. Avoid testing examinee on other people's behavior
Examples:
Did Romeo set fire to that house?
Did Simon touch that woman's buttocks?
h. Questions must not imply or assume guilt
Example:
After you broke into the house, did you exit at the kitchen door?
After you forged that check did you cashed it?
i. Avoid emotion evoking question.
Example:
Did you butcher that woman?
Did you sodomize that boy?
 J. When testing a witness or victims, the key issue with heir truthfulness about
their statement, not about the crime.
 Did you lie about seeing who stabbed Suga?
 Did you lie about being forced by Mr. Manyak to have sexual inter- course with
him?
K. Relevant questions are usually designed to be answered NO, but sometimes,
circumstances dictates a YES-answered relevant questions.
 Example:
Label Questions Answers

R1 Did you tell the truth in your Yes.

statement that you were sexually
abused by Mr. Co?
R2 Is it true that the saw the victim Yes
crying before she was found dead
inside the room?
 n.Do not mix "YES" and "NO" answered questions
during the same series.
 Example:

Label Questions Answers

R1 Did you submit a factual Yes

report of the case?

R2 Did you falsify any part of No

the investigation report?
Itis important to remember that when using any of
the testing technique with two three or four relevant
question, we must ensure that answers to all relevant
questions are the same. If the relevant question all relevant
is designed to obtain a "NO" answer, questions have the
must have the same answer. Do not mixed a yes or no
answered relevant question in a particular series to avoid
confusion both on the part of examiner and the subject.
 TYPES OF RELEVANT QUESTIONS
Primary Relevant Question/strong
 The primary relevant question is concerned with the primary issue being tested. It deals
with the direct involvement of the examinee to the crime. It focuses on the specific action
to which the examinee did in the commission of the crime. The primary relevant question
requires a NO answer to determine the denial of subject on the issue being tested.

Label Question Answer

R1 Did you steal any of that money? No

R2 Did you steal Park Jimin Laptop? No

R3 Did you shoot Nelson with a pistol? No

Secondary Relevant Question
The Secondary relevant question addresses secondary
involvement on the issue being tested. It addresses secondary
issues such as;
 a. Helped the subject
 b. Planned the event
 c. Participated in event
 d. Knowledge of event
 e. Benefited from act of event
Example of Secondary Relevant Question
Label Question Answer

R1 Did you help take any amount of that No

cash sales?

R2 Between 10:00 to 12am,of February 14, No

2024, did you open the table drawer of
Park Jimin.

R3 Where you present when any amount of No

that cash sales was taken?

R4 Did you benefit from any of amount of No

that cash was taken?
Knowledge question

 This type of Question is propound to the subject to detect

information about a crime that only a guilty subject would
have. Such information might include details about the site
of a crime or the means of committing it, such as the type
of weapon used. Determine the information Known to the
subject.
 Example: Do you know for sure who stole the laptop of
Jimin?
Evidence Connecting Question

A question that tends to directly

connects the examinee through elements
of the crime or physical evidence.
Design to link the subject and the crime.
 This has to do with inviting subjects attention on the
probability of incriminating proof that would tend to
establish his guilt, by linking him and his predicaments to
the fingerprints, foot frints, tool mark, etc. the footprints
outside the house of Pedro is your?
 Collected at the crime scene.
 Example: Were the footprints outside the house of Pedro
yours?
 3. Comparison Question
 A questionthat is designed to produce a physiological
response, which are compared to the physiological response of
the applicable relevant questions.
 TYPES OF COMPARISON QUESTIONS
 a. Probable-Lie Comparison Question (PLC)
 It is a question designed to be a probable-lie for the examinee. It is similar in nature of
the issue being tested but unrelated by time, place, or category. It must be broad in
scope, and time to cover as many of the examinee's past life experiences as possible.

Label Questions Answer

PLC1 Before this year, have you ever hurt no

your love ones?
PLC2 Between the ages of 21 to 26, have you no
ever lied to cover up something?

PLC3 When you were in college, have you no

ever cheated out of anything?
 b. Directed-Lie Comparison Question
(DLC)
 It is a comparison question that deals with minor violation of any rule,
law or code of conduct in which most people will easily acknowledge.
Upon admitting having committed such violation, the examinee is
instructed to lie when asked that question during the test. A directed-lie
is a known lie that results from the subject being instructed to answer
"NO" to questions about something that the examinee agrees they have
done.
 Example:
Label Question Answer

DLC1 In your whole life, have you No

ever committed even one
mistake?

DLC2 In your whole life, have you No

ever violated any traffic law?

DLC3 In your whole life, have you No

ever tell even one lie?
 4. Sacrifice Relevant Question or DYAT (Do You
Intend To Answer Truthtfully)
 The sacrifice relevant question is a type of polygraph question that prepares the examinee
for the introduction of the relevant topic. Reaction to the sacrifice relevant question is not
scored. Used to determined the truthfulness on the part of the subject.

Label Question Answer

SR Regarding the stabbing of Suga Yes
do you intend to answer each
question truthfully?

SR Regarding whether or not you Yes

stole that lap top, do you intend
to answer truthfully each
question about that?
 5. Symptomatic Question
 A symptomatic question is a type of polygraph question that is designed to test for an
outside issue that could be more significant for an examinee than the issues being tested.
Response to the symptomatic questions are evaluated but not numerically scored during
the test data analysis Symptomatic question.

Label Question Answer

Sym 1 Do you believe me when I told you that I Yes
will only ask the questions we reviewed?

Sym 2 Are you still afraid even I promised you No

that I will not ask a question we did not
reviewed?
 6. Introductory Question
An introductory question is a type of polygraph question that is designed to assure the examinee that
there will no unreview or surprise question that will be asked during the test. It is used in Utah Zone
Comparison Test and is positioned as the first question in the series.

Label Question Answer

Intro Do you understand that Yes

I will be only asking
you the question we
have discussed?
Guilty complex Test (GCT)

 This test applied when the response to relevant

question and control question ae similar in degree
and in consistency and in a way that the examiner
cannot determine whether the subject is telling the
truth or not
Silent Answer Test

 Thistest is conducted in the same manner as when

relevant and control questions are asked but the
subject instructed to answer the questions silently,
to himself, without making any verbal response
cause distortion in the tracing such as sniff or
clearing the throat.
SKY Question Test

- an optional question used to verify previous

charts. S-Suspect, K-know, Y-You
 Example: S- Do you suspect anyone in particular
of stealing and of that money?
 2.K-Do you Know for sure who stole any of the
money.
 3. Y- Did You steal any of the money.
 REFERENCES:


 1. Krapohl, 2010, Training Module, Computerized Polygraph System



 2. Ansley, 2009, Question Formulation, Polygraph Volume 38