Canonical Source · technical report

The Polygraph and Lie Detection

This page documents how this source is reused across Claim by Claim. A source can support, challenge, qualify or contextualize different claims; appearing here does not imply endorsement of every linked proposition.

Evidence context

How this source is used

Evidence roles describe what this source helps establish inside each Investigation. They are local to that use, not permanent labels attached to the publication itself.

Investigation

Can a polygraph reliably determine whether someone is lying?

Challenges

The National Academies found important theoretical and methodological limitations, warned that physiological responses are not specific to deception, and judged real-world and screening accuracy much less certain than simple accuracy claims imply.

Investigation

Can deliberate countermeasures reduce polygraph accuracy?

Supports

The National Academies review recognized countermeasures as a serious vulnerability and concluded that laboratory evidence shows they can alter polygraph outcomes, while noting uncertainty about their prevalence and effectiveness in real field use.

Subject families

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