An Experimental Study On Effect Of Relaxation Therapy On Polygraph Test Results

ObjectiveCriminal polygraph test,named as criminal psychological test,criminal lie detecting or criminal memory test as well,which could conclude the event related memory by examining the event related physiological responses with a polygraph,is used in severe criminal investigation. Relaxation training or relaxation therapy,as one of psychological therapies,is mastered by more and more ordinary people along with the developing of biology-mentality-society medical mode.In this study,the college students examinees were accepted an one-week relaxation training and mastered the skills of relaxation therapy.Then,they were arranged to accept polygraph test together with the contrast group examinees.Three high level negative emotion aroused behaviors and numbers (non-emotion aroused)were selected as targets in polygraph test.In this study,we observed and compared polygraph test results of deferent level negative emotion aroused behaviors,discussed the effects of emotional states on polygraph test results and explored the causes.Observed the effects of relaxation therapy training on polygraph test results,discussed the potential effective mechanism of it.We would search some possible ways to help providing more evidences in criminal investigation and forensic application..Material and MethodsMaterial:30 male senior college students were recrited as examinees,with age of 19-23 years old,their bodies and mentality in good condition,no drugs and alcohol used.PGA99 polygraph, PG-A psychological test software.Methods:30 participants were randomly divided into an experimental group(15 persons) and a contrast group(15 persons),and the experimental group participants were given one week training of relaxation therapy,including gradually relaxing training and mental relaxing training, then,all the examinees were assigned undertaking the polygraph tests together.Three high negative emotion aroused behaviors were selected as target items,All questions were set by the rule of Concealed Information Test(CIT);The design created a genuine context of certain level of pressure which may contribute to generalization of the results to real life setting;.Procedure:PGA99 polygraph and PGA psychological test software was used conducting the examination,which could record the graphs of electrodermal response,respiration and pulse.Five minutes pre-test interview was given to every examinee in order to attract attention to the test target items.The participants of experimental group were indicated to interfere with the test by using skills of Relaxation Therapy training.Exam was repeated for three times,with five minutes interval between two exams.Post-test interview was held to every examinee explaining the objective of the test and eliciting the real behaviors information from which participants reported.Examiners estimated the graphs by the same decision rule and gave the decisions.ResultsThe study yielded the correct classifications of high level negative emotion aroused behaviors in experimental group 35 person/times,false classifications 9 person/times,which composed of 6 false positive errors and 3 false negative errors,and the correct classifications of numbers examining 6 person/times,false classifications 8 person/times.The study yielded the correct classifications of high level negative emotion aroused behaviors in contrast group 34 person/times,false classification 9 person/times,which composed of 2 false positive errors and 9 false negative errors,and the correct classification of number examining 4 person/times,false classification is 11 person/times.The study revealedâ‘ The polygraph test of high level negative emotion aroused behaviors yielded higher accuracy rate than non-emotion aroused behaviors did.â‘¡There is no manifest difference between experimental group and contrast group on the accuracy of polygraph test results of high level negative emotion aroused behaviors and number.â‘¢False positive errors of experimental group were larger than which of contrast group.ConclusionHigh level negative emotion aroused behaviors yielded bigger accuracy in the polygraph tests,which revealed higher level negative emotion aroused examinees,higher polygraph test accuracy.It means that arousing negative emotion of examinees who involved in criminal cases by using psychological skills would enhance the detecting rate in real-life criminal investigation,In general,relaxation therapy is not effective as a countermeasure in polygraph test,but,a few of examinees who understand mechanism of polygraph test might generate physiological responses deliberately in order to mislead the classification of examiner,who might conclude a false conclusion or no conclusion...