ABOUT LOYALTY / INFIDELITY TESTS

TEST’S RELIABILITY

The result of the meta analysis prepared for the American Polygraph Association, shows that, depending on the method used for the test, the reliability of the test varies between 87.5% and 94%.

The examiner throughout the procedure will also enrich the results with an analysis of the subject’s behavior as well as with the analysis of his verbal and non-verbal signs.

People sometimes do not investigate whether they have been lied to because they fear the consequences the truth may hold. Some statistics suggest that up to 50% of men and 40% of women engage in extramarital relations (Feldman & Cauffman, 1999), yet many of them will remain undiscovered. A husband, for example, might try to dismiss suspicions that his wife is having an affair and avoid discovering the truth, because if he were to discover the truth and confront her with his knowledge about her lover, she may decide to leave her husband. This may be something he does not want her to do. Therefore, communicating what he has discovered may have undesirable consequences for the betrayed man and, upon realising this, he may decide not to investigate the issue.

Detecting Lies and Deceit
Pitfalls and Opportunities
Second Edition
Aldert Vrij 2008
Detecting Lies and Deceit Aldert Vrij 2008 Wiley.

Questions types

So that your test can meet the reliability and validity criteria. the questions must be objective and not subjective.

The number of questions suggested is four (4), it is however possible to have eight (8). The questions can be combined to respect the framework.

With the use of the "Statement test" written statement it is possible to have more than 8 questions, but this type of test is rarely suggested.

1. The questions in the infidelity polygraph test require a yes or no answer only. You will not be asked any questions requiring a story.
2. Infidelity tests are done as a single subject test. In other words, you are asked about 1 problem; normally something like “during your marriage, did you have sexual contact with someone other than your partner?”
3. The questions cannot be subjective or ambiguous. You must understand exactly what you are being asked.
4. Questions about feelings and emotions are not asked, that is, you will not be asked if you liked the person with whom you are accused of having an affair.
5. All of the questions in a polygraph infidelity test tend to be fairly straightforward, that is, “Did you have sex with ____?” and not “have you thought about having sex with ____ and would you have liked it?”

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