Terms Relating to Lie Detectors Explained – Letters W, X, Y, & Z
Window of Evaluation
- A data period used for evaluation purposes when applying RLL. Comparative responses in the respiration channel are evaluated using matching time windows. A default time window is predicated on the comparative response displaying the most significant response duration. If a comparison question has an RLL response of five seconds and the relevant question has eight seconds of response the window- of-evaluation for both comparative questions defaults to 8 seconds.
Wheatstone Bridge
- Early electrical circuitry used to detect electrodermal activity. It employed a null-type resistance-measuring circuit in which the examinee’s resistance was continually compared to that of known resisters.
Winter, John
- Earliest known developer of a scoring system used to interpret polygraph recordings who’s method did not come into wide use and is of historical interest only.
Yerkes-Dodson Inverted U
- An inverted U characterizing the relationship between arousal and performance. The level of performance increases with arousal until it reaches some optimum level beyond which performance experiences a decrement. The model implies that a subject who is under-aroused will not respond sufficiently on an examination, while a subject who is over-aroused will also not respond adequately.
Yes Test
- Comparison questions are omitted from the question list while examinee is told to answer “yes” to all of the remaining test questions, but preceded by special instructions so to invite physical countermeasures from guilty examinees. It is quite useful to identify examinees trying to defeat a test, and is generally used only when there is reason to believe there is cheating.
Yes-No Technique
- Similar to Positive Control Technique.
You Phase
- Most commonly used of the formats in ZCT. The standardized test addresses a single issue and single degree of involvement. The format provides for two or three relevant questions worded slightly differently from one another addresses the single issue and degree of involvement. It also requires a repeat of the relevant wording in the give-away question.
You-Phase Zone Comparison Test
- Standardized specific issue test addressing a single issue, with only two relevant questions.
Zone
- A zone is a 20 to 35 second timed block, with questions having a unique psychological focusing appeal to a predictable group of examinees. Used with color-coding to identify three zones: red, green, and black. The red zone is for relevant questions, the green zone for comparison questions, and the black zone for symptomatic questions.
Zone Comparison Technique (Zct)
- Contains three Zones (black, red, green), with comparison responses between the two Zones (red and green) for a determination of truth or deception. It poses a threat to the examinee, regardless of their innocence or guilt while compelling them to focus attention on a specific zone question. Several varieties are “You phase,” “Exploratory” “S-K-Y” “Federal,” “Integrated” and “Utah”. As the first modern technique in general use to incorporate numerical analysis, it is probably used more often in forensic applications than any other format.
Zone Comparison Test (ZCT)
- PLC question technique designed to resolve a specific incident. The ZCT uses a give-away relevant question, irrelevant questions, plus symptomatic questions in designated positions. Relevant questions are compared in places to control questions.
