Verbal and Nonverbal Clues - T0 Truth and Deception During Polygraph Examinations
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VERBAL AND NONVERBAL CLUES - T0 TRUTH AND DECEPTION DURING POLYGRAPH EXAMINATIONS Thesis for the Degree of M. S. MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY FRANK S. HORVATH 1972 iIII III IIII I III III III I b LIBRARY Michigan Staic I University . VERBAL AND NONVERBAL CLUES TO TRUTH AND DECEPTION DURING POLYGRAPH EXAMINATIONS By Frank S. Horvath AN ABSTRACT OF A THESIS Submitted to The College of Social Science Michigan State University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree MASTER OF SCIENCE School of Criminal Justice 1972 u e I, Lk.j12..('v I ..? x... Approved: ;_,\x.¢\/\ Dr. Leon weaver, Chairman fl/{L/ (7) 7fly gin/magi PrdfessorTRobert‘C—_T?ojanowieb 0 RAF-(’4' p and.“ Professor Ralph E. Turner ABSTRACT VERBAL AND NONVERBAL CLUES TO TRUTH AND DECEPTION DURING POLYGRAPH EXAMINATIONS by Frank S. Horvath The behavior of one hundred polygraph subjects, fifty known truthful and fifty known lying, was analyzed to de- termine whether their behavior provided clues to the subject's actual truthfulness and deception. The behavior studied was broken down into three categories: elicited verbal behavior, spontaneous verbal behavior, and non- verbal behavior. Elicited verbal behavior was defined as the subject's verbal answers to each of fourteen structured pre—test interview questions. A significant number of the truthful subjects answered ten of these questions with answers, which, according to accepted theory were answers typically given by truth-tellers; a significant number of the lying subjects gave answers typical of liars to six of the questions. Only three of the interview questions were found to be significant discriminators between the truthful and lying subjects. Spontaneous verbal behavior was defined as those com- ments, requests, and complaints which a subject makes during a polygraph examination without direct prompting from the Frank S. Horvath examiner. The hypothesis that lying subjects exhibit spontaneous verbal clues more often than truthful subjects was found to be correct. Nonverbal behavior was defined as the subject's de- meanor and appearance during the examination. It was hypothesized that the subjects would exhibit nonverbal be- havior, which according to prior research was more typical of their actual classification (truthful and lying) more often than nonverbal behavior which was, according to prior research, not typical of their actual classification. The hypothesis was found to be correct; a significant number of the truthful subjects more often appeared as "truth- tellers" than "liars"; whereas, a significant number of the lying subjects more often appeared as "liars" than as "truth-tellers." VERBAL AND NONVERBAL CLUES TO TRUTH AND DECEPTION DURING POLYGRAPH EXAMINATIONS A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of the School of Criminal Justice Michigan State University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Raster of Science by (:) Frank S. Horvath 1972 DEDICATION To My Parents ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The writer is indebted to John E. Reid, Director, John E. Reid and Associates for his cooperation in this research project. Also, the writer gratefully acknowledges the assistance of the following persons: James and Sally Hennessy for their advice regarding the statistical test- ing of the data; Dr. John H. McNamara for his advice and assistance concerning the methodology used in the study; Mrs. Sheryl Ten Broeke for her painstaking efforts in typing the many manuscripts; my wife, Jan, for her patience, advice, and assistance throughout the many months of the preparation of this study; David Leflet for providing in- formation concerning non-polygraph interrogation; and, finally, Dr. Leon Weaver, Dr. Robert Trojanowicz, and Professor Ralph F. Turner for their critical review and advice concerning the final report of the study. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE LIST OF TABLES ................................. IX CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION .......................... I4 The Problem ......................... e4 Statement of Purpose ................ n) Need for the Study .................. xx Definitions .00....OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO... ¢> Examiner 00......OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO -p Interrogation, Interrogational DeVice 00.0.0000...OOOOOOOOOOO... Interview ......................... Interview Sheet ................... Lying Subject ..................... Polygraph, Polygraph Instrument ... Polygraph Examination ............. Polygraph Records ................. Polygraph Subject Behavior ........ Structured Pre-Test Interview ..... Subject ........................... Truthful Subject .................. 2 REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE .............. Coqmoxoxmmmm-b-b-P. Behavioral Characteristics of Polygraph Subjects ................ 8 iv CHAPTER PAGE Behavioral Characteristics of Subjects in Non-Polygraph Interrogation ...... 12 Sweating ............................ 15 Dry Mouth ........................... l5 Clenching of Hands .................. 13 Respiration ......................... 15 General Nervousness ................. 14 Color Change ........................ 14 Heart beat, pulse ................... l4 Elbow Position ...................... l5 Fidgeting ................ ...... ..... 15 Facial Tics ......................... l5 Adam's Apple Activity ............... l6 Behavioral Characteristics Used for Detecting Deception ................. 17 Association and Reaction Time ....... 17 Muscular Movements .................. 19 Voice Quality ....................... 19 Eye Movements ....................... 21 Facial Expression and Body movement ...OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO... 22 Nonverbal Behavior As a Communication System ................ 25 Detecting Body Movement and Facial Expression Significance ........... 26 CHAPTER PAGE GSR Responsiveness Related to Emotional Expression .............. 28 Classifying Behavioral Communication 31 Paralanguage...................... 31 Proxemics ......................... 32 Kinesics .......................... 32 Summary ............................... 33 3 THEORETICAL BASE OF DATA STUDIED ........ 35 Elicited Verbal Behavior: The Structured Pre-Test Interview ....... 35 You Question ........................ 38 Suspicion Question .................. 39 Who Not Suspect Question ............ 39 Think Stolen Question ............... 40 Best Opportunity Question ........... 41 Fingerprint Question ................ 41 Borrow Question ..................... 43 Ever Happen Before Question ......... 44 Think Question ...................... 45 Approach Question ................... 45 How Will L.D. Come Out on You queStion 0.000.000.0000...00.0.0... 46 Truth Serum Question ................ 47 What Should Happen to Doer Question .................. ..... ... 48 Attitude Question ................... 49 vi CHAPTER PAGE Spontaneous Verbal Behavior .......... 51 Nonverbal Behavior ................... 52 4 DESIGN OF‘THE INVESTIGATION ............ 54 Background Information of Data Studied ............................ 54 Source of Data ..................... 54 Subjects Studied ................... 57 The Original Investigations ........ 59 The Polygraph Examiners ............ 60 Method of Study ...................... 61 Elicited Verbal Clues .............. 61 Spontaneous Verbal Clues ........... 64 Nonverbal Clues .................... 66 Limitations of the Study ............. 7O 5 RESULTS OF THE STUDY ................... ‘ 74 Elicited Verbal Clue Results ......... 74 Spontaneous Verbal Clue Results ...... 78 Nonverbal Clue Results ............... 80 6 DISCUSSION ............................. 82 7 SUMMARY ................................ 9O 102 BIBLIOGRAPHY .0............OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO0...... vii CHAPTER PAGE APqu-DICES .................O.................... 11'1" Appendix A (Section I) Master Data Sheets: Elicited Verbal Clues .. 115 Appendix A (Section II) Selected Actual Answers to the Structured Pre-Test Interview Questions ................ 118 Appendix B Master Data Sheets: Spontaneous Verbal Clues 0............COOOCOOOOO......OOOOOOOOOO 1:; Appendix C Master Data Sheets: Nonverbal Clues ........ 126 Appendix D Discussion of Additional Spontaneous Verbal Clues .....OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOIOOOOOOOOOOOO... 129 viii LIST OF TABLES TABLE PAGE Comparison of Background Information of Polygraph Subjects ............... 59 Comparison of the Original Investi- gation Issues ....................... 6O Elicited Verbal Glue Results: Truthful SUbjeCtS 00000000000000.0000 75 Elicited Verbal Clue Results: Lying SubjeCts ...OOOOOOOOOOCOOOOOOOO 78 A Comparison of Truthful and Lying Subjects on Three Types of Spontaneous Verbal Clues ............ 81 Grouped Spontaneous Verbal Clue Results 83 Comparison of Truthful and Lying Subjects On "Typical Truth-Teller" Nonverbal Clue Descriptors OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 85 Comparison of Truthful and Lying Subjects On "Typical Liar" Nonverbal Clue Descriptors 00.000000000000000...0.... 86 Results of Classification of Subjects on Nonverbal Clues ................... 88 10 Number of Subjects Voicing Concern for Either Control or Relevant Test QUEStiOnS 000000.000. ooooo 000000000000 131 ix Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION THE PROBLEM Polygraph examiners frequently disagree about whether or not judgments concerning a polygraph subject's behavior should be used in making truth or deception decisions. On the one hand, some examiners insist that behavior judgments should not be used at all. They insist that behavior is too evanescent and impalpable to be objectively studied. These examiners wish to replace behavior judgments with a total reliance on physiological concepts, which they feel to be more substantial. They