Validity Of Polygraph Essay

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The lack of evidence that a polygraph can detect lies is the reason the polygraph cannot be used in today’s courtrooms, so then why is it allowed to dictate who will get hired in law enforcement? If you are seeking a job in law enforcement chances are you will be subjected to a polygraph test. The polygraph test is used in part of the interview process to find out about previous drug use and other crimes you may have committed but didn’t get caught for, these crimes are called undetected crimes. We all know that a polygraph isn’t admissible in court rooms across the United States mainly because there isn’t any evidence to prove that a polygraph can detect a lie.
A polygraph measures blood pressure, heart rates, and breathing. (Lewis and Cuppari …show more content…

One FBI study showed that “out of the 2,641-deceptive criminal polygraph reports

reviewed, 1,316 provided no additional useful information. However, 1,325 reports resulted in

acquiring confessions, admissions, or information of investigative value.” (Warner, 2005) In this

article the FBI admits that using the polygraph is just a scare tactic to learn new information.

With so many reasons to doubt the polygraph do you think it should be used to interrogate a job applicant? Surely not as we have discovered that the validity of polygraphs is not infallible but more so a scare tactic to get people to admit to something. Job applicants should not be treated like criminals. Law enforcement should stick to what they know and can prove when it comes to investigating job applicants for a job. If they want to continue to use the polygraph as a scare tactic for unbeknownst individuals to admit to something, then under no circumstance if you fail a polygraph should employment be denied.

Works Cited
Lewis, Jerry, A “The polygraph: the truth lies within” The Journal of Psychiatry & Law 37 (2009) Pages 85-92. Print.
Cuppari, Michelle “The polygraph: the truth lies within” The Journal of Psychiatry & Law 37 (2009) Pages 85-92.

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