Discussion»Statements»Rosie's Corner» What does it take to BEAT a lie detector test? Does the dipstick have the right stuff or would it nail his a** with each lie reply?
Lie detectors are unreliable ... which is why they aren't required in court.
I've heard you can beat them by making yourself so uncomfortable, you throw off the "baseline" (truth) reading. EG: placing a tack in your shoe. I don't know if that's true or not.
If you can control your bodily functions (heart rate, eye movement, etc) I guess you could beat it.
Of course, if you actually believe you're telling the truth - you wouldn't have any of the readings of lying. So you could "beat" the test, that way.
That's the thing though Walt. WHAT IF YOU ARE TELLING THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH but the machine says otherwise due to some malfunction? Are they calibrated every day and tested against a known truth and a known lie? I don't trust machines. Sometimes they're way off. I'd be so nervous being hooked up to a machine my body would do flips from nerves. How would that register on the machine? I'm not a cool cuke. I'm a hot tamale when I get emotionally riled which you know because sometimes you've experienced it. But you're way cool and nothing so far has riled you enough to rile back. Have YOU ever taken a lie detector test? Doesn't the prospect of taking one make you nervous too? Not because you'd lie because you wouldn't. But well because how you can be 100% certain the machine is "reading" you fairly or accurately? Anyway hope this entire discussion is academic. Thank you for your reply Walt! :)
This post was edited by RosieG at August 28, 2020 7:21 AM MDT
That's why they aren't required in court, and even voluntary tests are often inadmissible. Because the machine reads things related to increased stress ... which could be increased just due to taking the test (as any student could say).
They are supposed to be calibrated by asking answers they know are true, to start. Things like your name or birthdate. But as I said, just taking the test could be stressful enough not to get accurate "baseline" readings.