FORENSIC 5- SEMIS

• General Rules in formulating Test Questions

  Questions must be simple and direct They must not involve legal terminologies They must be as simple and as short as possible Answerable by Yes or No. They must not be in a form of accusatorial. Their meaning must be clear and they must be phrased in a language that the subject  can easily understand.

   

   They must never contain inference which presupposes knowledge on the part of the subject. They must refer to one offense only They must refer to one element of the offense. They must not contain inference to one's religion, race or belief.
• Irrelevant Question


  a question that has no connection with the matter under investigation and deals with known facts that the subject cannot be denied. It is designed to be emotionally neutral to examinees and usually answerable by "yes". Also called Neutral Question. 
• Characteristics of Irrelevant

  1. It has no connection to the matter under investigation. 2. No threat to subject (usually). 3. Neither innocent nor guilty suspects have reason to lie. 4. Usually about the suspect's background. 5. Generally used at the beginning of polygraph technique to establish a 'norm' for examinee, or throughout the examination as needed to reestablish norm pattern.  
• Purposes of Irrelevant Question

  1. Establish the professional authority in the room that means, the examiner asks questions and the suspect answers
  2. It allows the examiner to assess the subject's normal behavior for this heightened emotional situation 
  3. Allows the examiner to identify something he has in common with the subject, to establish rapport (relationship)
  4. It minimizes resistance  
• Symptomatic Question 


  is designed to ensure that the examiner will not ask un- reviewed questions or that the examinee is not afraid that the examiner will ask un-reviewed questions. Examples: ► Do you understand that I'm not going to ask any trick or surprise questions? 
• Sacrifice Relevant Question


  it introduces the relevant question to the subject = designed to absorb the response generated by the introduction of relevant question in the series Example: ■Regarding the (matter under investigation), are you willing to answer the questions truthfully?
• Relevant Question


  a question deals with the matter under investigation. Color coded red in computerized instruments. It is designed to generate reactions from deceptive subject. 
• Primary Relevant (Strong Relevant)


  addresses the primary issue or direct involvement of the subject on the matter under question. It is use primarily with the single-issue examination. Ex. Did you take that missing money? 
• Secondary Relevant (Weak Relevant)


  deals with the physical acts that support the  primary issue. This is usually use in multi-issue examination.

   Ex. Did you participate of that missing in the theft money? 
• Guilty Knowledge


  designed to probe whether the subject possesses information regarding the identity of the offender or the facts of the case under question.

   Ex. Do you know who took that missing money? 
• Evidence Connecting Question


  test question in which the examinee is asked about a particular piece of physical evidence that would incriminate the guilty person. It could be  items left at the crime scene by the perpetrator or stolen property. Ex. Do you know where any of that missing money is right now? 
• Comparison Question


  a question which is the same in nature with that of the relevant question but broad in scope. Green coded questions. = is used for comparative purposes with the relevant question. = designed to generate reactions from truthful subject. 
• Directed Lie Comparison Question


  a comparison question in which the examinee is instructed by the examiner to answer the questions untruthfully. Some examiners actually get admission to comparison questions and then instruct the examinee to lie to that question when it is asked. 
• Probable Lie Comparison Question


  a question to which it is likely that the examinee is untruthful with his answer. = PLC questions are broad in scope and usually based on actions categorically similar to that of the issue under investigation 
• Inclusive


  include the relevant time period under  investigation
• Exclusive


  a comparison question separated in time, place and category from the relevant question. It was introduced by Cleve Backster. He believes that this prevents the guilty suspect from perceiving the comparison question as an ambiguous relevant question. Example: During the first years of your life, did you ever ? Prior to 2009, did you ever While in college ? ? Between the ages of &, did you ever ?
• General Question Test


  consist of series of relevant, irrelevant control questions in a planned order. Developed by John E. Reid 
• Relevant/Irrelevant Test


  consists primarily of series of irrelevant questions and relevant question pertaining to the crime under investigation. Developed by Keeler. 
• Peak of Tension Test


  consist of only one relevant and a series of irrelevant questions. resemble, in every general way, the card test, for it consist essentially of the asking of a series of question in which only one has any bearing upon the matter under investigation. = padding questions before and after the relevant questions
• Known Solution Peak of Tension Test (KSPOT)


  is used to determine whether the examinee is aware of details of a crime that have been kept from the general public and would presumably only be known to the perpetrator of the crime or those with incriminating knowledge.
• Searching Peak of Tension Test (SPOT)


  is used to determine details of a crime that are not known to officials, such as the location of an unrecovered body, but would be known to a participant in the crime.
• Card test / Acquaintance Test / Stimulation Test


  the subject is presented with seven (7) previously numbered cards face down. = he will be instructed to take one, look at it and return it with the rest of the cards. = the examiner will shuffle the cards and each card will be shown to him, with the instruction that he will answer "NO" to all cards, even if the one being shown to him is the one he has seen earlier.
• Guilt Complex Test


  used primarily for overly responsive subjects. = a totally fictitious incident but a similar nature to the matter being investigated and make him believe it is real. = The purpose is to compare the response with those responses made concerning the actual matter under investigation. 
• Silent Answer Test


  Subject is instructed not to give any verbal answer; the subject will only answer in his mind
• Comparison Question Test 


  the reactions on the control and relevant questions are compared via numerical scoring