Human vs. Machine: Can you deceive the lie detector?

We have all seen in the movies and television the so-called lie detectors.A curious gadgets that serve precisely to detect when a person is telling the truth or when he is lying .

If you are a curious person like me, surely you have wondered. Do lie detectors really work? And more importantly: Can we cheat the machine to give the results we want? ? In this article we will answer these questions and explain more curiosities about this curious device.

How does a lie detector work?

The first lie detector was created in 1921 by a medical student and a police officer who knew the great potential that a tool like this could have in his work.

Human vs. Machine: Can you deceive the lie detector?

The actual name of this measuring instrument is «polygraph» .What the polygraph does is measure the physiological responses of our organism when we have to answer certain questions.Some of these physiological reactions are:

Rhythm Cardiac
Blood pressure
Respiratory rate
Galvanic skin response

These responses are noted (usually in a paper) and a A person skilled in polygraph analysis can (in theory) determine if the person who is answering the questions is telling the truth.For example and simplifying it a lot: The increase in heart rate or respiratory rate are signs that the person is getting nervous and that may mean that he is lying.That is to say, it is assumed that every emotion generates a certain physiological reaction in our organism and this reaction is what we try to measure.

Does it really work?

The scientific community is very divided in opinions regarding this issue.Many experts say that it is not a really effective gadget since it is not scientifically proven that there is a direct correlation between the lie and the relations of our body that it is capable of measuring.In addition, and in the supposed case that if it worked, they argue that it would be very easy to lie to the polygraph knowing how we should act.

On the other hand there are experts s work on the issue that ensures that despite not being 100% infallible, if it is successful on most occasions and that in addition, the experts in charge of doing polygraph tests are also able to detect traps that the subject can perform to lie and not be detected.

Human vs. Machine: Can you deceive the lie detector?

This division of opinions makes the use of the polygraph not too widespread. There are countries that accept it as valid proof in a trial , but most do not.In the United States for example there are states that perform polygraph testing in some trials, although it is not always admitted as valid evidence before the judge.There are also many companies and entities private people who use the polygraph for different reasons.

How can we deceive the polygraph?

Assuming then that the polygraph is effective and that it is really capable of detecting lies in a high percentage … What can we do to deceive it?

Hopefully you never have to find yourself in the situation of having to pass a polygraph (unless it is for fun), but anyway, if you have to To do is better to take into account the advice of Aldrich Ames, accused of spying by the CIA p For the Soviet Union .Aldrich managed to make fun of the polygraph and this is his advice:

«Sleep well the night before, go to the test rested and relaxed.Be nice to the examiner , show yourself cooperative and keep calm at all times.There is no magic trick to pass the polygraph, you have to be self-confident and establish a fluid relationship with the examiner...you must make him think that you fall well »

In addition to Aldrich, other spies are known who have managed to pass the polygraph test by cheating the machine, these are the cases of Karl Koecher, Ana Belen Montes or Leandro Aragoncillo.

Another formula to cheat the polygraph consists of trying to get nervous during control questions , (basic questions like are you sitting? or are we in Barcelona? which are simply used to compare the answers with the real questions) and try to relax with the real questions on the subject for which you are doing the test.In this way the data thrown by the machine will be distorted in such a way that they hide your lie or cancel the validity of the test.

If you found this article interesting and you like spy stories, truth tests and torture do not miss the article: «Methods of torture used by the Viet Cong »

Image: Freddie Pena

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