Types of control questions

[Boots]

The Question states this:

The polygraph is used as a lie detector in some countries.
a.  A number of control questions are asked when undergoing a lie detector test. In order to establish a baseline
physiological response, the control questions vary from each other.
  How do these questions vary?

The answer is : Questions demanding both positive and negative responses are included. This is so that relevant questions
demanding either response may be validated.

Can someone please explain the answer further. What are these positive and negative responses?

[Slumdawg]

What exam brand and year was this ?

Anyway here's my explanation:
To put it simply,
Positive response = Yes, Negative response = No

For example, let's say Sally born in 1980 and was charged for stealing something and decided to undertake a lie detector test, the operator (person asking the questions and/or observing physiological changes recorded) will ask questions such as is your name Sally to which she will answer "Yes" i.e. a positive response,  this is one form of a control question. The operator will then ask other control questions such as were you born in 1999 to which she will answer "No" i.e. a negative response, which is the other form of control question. Therefore when relevant questions are asked they can use questions with responses of yes or no and then compare these either positive or negative responses to the control questions.

In other words, if all of the control questions asked produced positive responses (i.e. yes) then when Sally responds to a relevant question with a negative response(i.e. no) there will be nothing to compare this response to as a negative response wasn't accounted for when asking control questions.

Hope that helps. Let me know if you have questions about that.

[Boots]

So, whats the point of this technique? I mean if you ask Sally: 'is your name sally' and she answers 'yes,' then wouldn't this be sufficient to compare against any relevant question because we know she is telling the truth?

This question is from VCAA 2006

Btw, how do you know soo much about this? You must have a really good teacher cos' I cant even find this info in my text book.

[The Detective]

Is it referring to emotion provoking and emotionless (irrelevant) control questions?

[Spreadbury]

does the question refer to "probable lie" questions at all because I've read that there are both non-emotional (e.g. what is your name) and then probably lie questions (e.g. have you ever stolen anything?) which are intended to heighten physiological arousal a little so they can provide a comparisson when they ask the relevant questions

[Slumdawg]

Well we use the heinemann textbook which is so crap so its a definite disadvantage over those who use grivas.
Anyway I asked my teacher and she said there's two main types of control questions: 1) Probable lie questions (intended to slightly increase arousal) and neutral questions which are questions like "what is your name?" etc. 2) Then there are positive and negative which I already explained...
So in the exam you could talk about probable lie and neutral questions in regards to types of control or the other option is positive and negative.

Also to answer your other question... When replying with a "yes" to a control question the arousal level may differ from when the person has to reply with a "no" for a control question. Therefore when asking relevant questions they can compare the negative responses with the negatives responses of the control questions. Because if all your answers were intended to be "yes" to indicate telling the truth the person may zone out of the questions and just sound like a machine on repeat i.e. yes...yes.. yes...yes... So that's another use of varying these control questions allows you to vary the relevant questions.

E.g. Back to the Sally example:  Were you born in 1999 she would reply "no"......Did you steal the packet of salt and vinegar chips from the Milk Bar? she would also reply "no".... This would be most appropriate as the response in the control matched the response  to the relevant question. Hence when comparing a "yes" in control to a "no" in relevant, the level of arousal may alter due to the varied response and not their feelings of guilt or anxiety. All in all it reduces the possibility of extraneous variables such as the required response (yes or no)  from the participant from becoming confounding.

Sorry if you still don't get it from my explanation. But I hope you do Let me know though.

[Boots]

Hey thanks for the lengthy response

I've been reading your response for 30mins over and over again and I think I have it in the bag

It's not that your explanation is bad, its just that its a difficult concept, well for me it is

Do you know where I can read up on it?

[Slumdawg]

Its weird how they put that tricky question in there cos the multiple choice in 06 vcaa is really easy. Its the only mc i've gotten 44/44 on. I reckon Trails for Teachers are harder than actual vcaa exams. Um.. I would just google polygraph and read more about it. Or ask your teacher for extra handouts on the polygraph. Because they are likely to reuse that question so I would thoroughly prepare for it.

[Boots]

Shilayli06, what are 'trials for teachers' and do you have any to share =)

lol, i've noticed the same thing about the 06 paper.

[Slumdawg]

Its a brand of practice exam. Ask your psych teacher or any other psych teacher at your school to copy them for you I'm pretty sure they would have them. I would share them but I only have them in hard copy and I don't have time to photocopy them

Btw. I'm praying our paper will be the same as 06.. haha

[Boots]

I doubt my teacher would have it, im just gonna survive on VCAA exams.