Over the past ten years, I have taught tens of thousands of students how to “Not Fail the Polygraph.” I receive hundreds of questions each year about this topic. Even after taking my Mastering the Polygraph prep course, there is one type of question that comes up most often.
The Most Common Question Sgt. Godoy Receives About the Polygraph
Here is an example:
“Sgt. Godoy, I failed the polygraph today because I didn’t know how to answer the following question,
‘Did you ever view sexual images when you were under the age of 17?’
I was nervous about this because I did not mention this on my application. In your course, you said that inconsistencies between my application and my answers would raise red flags. What should I have done?”
Another one of my most memorable exchanges was with a female applicant who asked,
“During my polygraph, the examiner (a male) asked if I had ever had sex in a car? Can he do that? I don’t remember anything on the application asking for such information. I am from Brazil, and we have sex in the car all the time. There is nothing illegal about it. How should I handle this type of question?”
Even though both of these examples involve sex, the thing they share in common is when you haven’t mentioned something on your application and it comes up during the polygraph. Another variation that involves drugs might go as follows:
“Sgt. Godoy. I was asked on the application if I have ever smoked marijuana during the past 12 months. I answer ‘NO’ on the application. But during the polygraph, the examiner asked me, ‘Have I EVER smoked pot?’ I was nervous as to how to answer and the polygrapher told me that I registered a strong reaction to that question that indicated I was not being truthful. What should I do in the future?”
Yes, consistency between information on your application and your answers to the polygrapher is important. But by the time you are taking the polygraph, there is nothing you can do to change what’s on your application. But you can make matters worse for yourself, by lying while hooked up to the machine.
The Answer is Easy
The solution is very easy – always answer truthfully during the polygraph. The examiner only cares about ONE THING – are you being truthful or not? The recruiting staff are the people who will decide if an omission or past sin is significant or not.
Think about the first example, would anyone on the recruiting staff be surprised if you had viewed pornographic images when you were under 17 years of age? Of course not. In fact, they would probably find you strange if you denied this. This type of shady behavior is NOT going to get you disqualified. But lying, WILL get you disqualified.
Another important aspect of your relationship[ with the recruiting staff is that these situations can actually create a good opportunity for you present yourself in an appealing way. If anyone notices that you failed to mention something on your application, it gives you an opportunity to explain. You might win friends by responding with a smile, “Of course I watched pornography when I was 16. Doesn’t everyone?”
Tension in the Air
There is a tension in all departments between the polygraphers and the recruiters. They have different goals that are at odds with each other. The recruiters want to fill jobs with people they think are qualified and will be a good fit on the team. They want candidates that they find likable. The polygrapher’s job is to detect bad apples. Disqualifying a candidate for lying is success to the polygrapher.
The intelligent law enforcement applicant will keep this natural tension in mind. Your primary goal during the polygraph is to not cause a blip on the machine by answering a question in an untruthful manner. Your goal with the recruiters is to get them to like you – no different from any other job interview.
If you haven’t already, get my Mastering the Polygraph prep course for more information about How to NOT Fail the Polygraph.