Anyone taken a polygraph?

Dunckel

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Jan 16, 2007
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I have to take one on Monday. I am not worried about anything in my past, but I have heard that even if you don't lie, you can fail it. Has anyone here taken one before. Can you give me any advice, besides tell the truth? I am just really nervous.
 

dugums

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Dunckel said:
I have to take one on Monday. I am not worried about anything in my past, but I have heard that even if you don't lie, you can fail it. Has anyone here taken one before. Can you give me any advice, besides tell the truth? I am just really nervous.

Then the polygraph has already done its job.

Is this for a job?
 

Dunckel

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So if I tell the truth about everything, which I plan on doing, and don't have any real issues, I should be ok? It's just the fact that I've heard many people say that even if you are truthful, the machine can read your nervousness and fail you. The reason I am so nervous is because this is for a career that I have worked hard for, and it comes down to this. If I pass, I'll have no worries with the rest of the journey, but if not, there is no way any agency will ever hire me.

Edit: I guess I'm just stressed.
 

Dunckel

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Thanks JJ. I have a good idea what I'm in for. My uncle just retired from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Dept. He has given me a heads up on what to expect. The politics of the job, hazards, the union, the good stuff, and the bad. I think as long as I do my job, and cover my own ass, I will be ok.
 

suprahero

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The people telling you that they can say you're lieing even if you're telling the truth............were probably lieing when they took one.

Chill out and answer everything trutfully, and you'll be getting paid off by hookers in a back alley before you know it................:naughty:
 

Merlyn

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polygraphs take a base reading by asking you basic questions that you wouldn't really lie to (your name, place of birth, birthday, sex etc etc) from there, if you are nervous off the charts, they factor that into any truth / lie from there on out...
 

GrimJack

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How exactly did you find that out, Mike? ;)

Seriously, it's not a big deal. It's not being nervous that is going to screw up the results, it's getting a lot MORE nervous when answering a specific question. And it's not entirely nervousness, either - the machine can't measure how nervous you are.

It measures a bunch of other things, depending on the unit - the conductivity of your skin measures sweat production, for instance. People can be trained to mess with the results, too, which is why they really aren't accepted as definitive proof for anything. I'm surprised they are using it as entrance criteria for the police force, to be honest.
 

Dunckel

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Thanks guys. The things I am worried about are when the he/she asks me if I have ever driven under the influence, stolen anything, smoked pot, etc. I am going to answer truthfully about everything, but I am just freaked out that one of my truthful answers will disqualify me.
 

Element256

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Jul 17, 2007
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Dunckel said:
Thanks guys. The things I am worried about are when the he/she asks me if I have ever driven under the influence, stolen anything, smoked pot, etc. I am going to answer truthfully about everything, but I am just freaked out that one of my truthful answers will disqualify me.

They can't ask that vague of a question. We've ALL driven before even if just 1 beer, and that's considered "under the influence"
Just say yes to stealing and say it was a pack of gum when u were 11.
Pot doesn't matter at all if it was in the past.