Like – if it’s based on a person’s physiological responses, isn’t it possible that a response to a question like “did you murder your hamster” would register as a lie due to the increase in heart rate and blood pressure cause of anxiety associated with being accused of something?
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I want to second u/rhombiodus here and say – they don’t.
But what you suggested is essentially how they are supposed to work.
The idea is they get a reading of your heart rate, breathing rate, etc. when you are answering normal questions truthfully (is your name yoteachcaniborrowpen?)
Then, they ask you the ‘real’ questions (did you strangle Mr. Body?). The idea is that lying is stressful, which causes your heart rate and breathing rate to ‘spike’.
So you look for these spikes compared to the easy questions, and say ‘lie’ or ‘not lie’.
It’s utter BS. There was a 400-page plus report commissioned by congress that was put together by tons of experts in the field that concluded there was no evidence whatsoever to support polygraphs. It’s not admissible in court. The only reason it’s still around is to threaten people into confessing and use it against you if you refuse one – because the fact you refused IS admissible (AFAIK).
Source: psych prof
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