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Alcohol and the Psychophysiological Detection of Deception

NCJ Number
97505
Journal
Polygraph Volume: 13 Issue: 2 Dated: (June 1984) Pages: 177-192
Author(s)
M T Bradley; D Ainsworth
Date Published
1984
Length
16 pages
Annotation
Psychophysiological detection of deception examinations were conducted on 40 subjects.
Abstract
Of these, 32 were 'guilty' of a mock crime and 8 were innocent. Sixteen guilty subjects committed the crime while intoxicated and the remaining 16 committed the crime sober. These two groups of guilty subjects were subdivided such that half of each group was examined with the polygraph while intoxicated and the other half was examined while sober. Two questioning techniques were used in the examination, a Control Question and the Guilty Knowledge Test. Measures of skin resistance, heart rate and respiration were recorded. The principal findings were that alcohol intoxication during the crime reduced detectability with detection scores derived from the measurement of skin resistance responses on the Control Question Test and on the Guilty Knowledge Test. The analyses of guilt/innocent classifications, based on the detection scores, showed these classifications to be affected by alcohol intoxication. (Author abstract)