Some features of post-test behavior of respondents.

Some features of the post-test behavior of respondents..

Molchanov A.Yu.
Leading teacher of the polygraph examiner training school of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia
Moscow

Some features of the post-test behavior of respondents.

Source:  Proceedings of the international scientific and practical conference
«Current status and development prospects of the instrumental «lie detection» method in the interests of state and public security»
(December 2-4, 2008)

The analysis of the behavior of the interviewed persons is one of the elements, and an element of quite high importance, in the work of a polygraph specialist. This analysis is carried out mainly, but not only, on the information obtained by the observation method during direct communication with the interviewee — i.e. in the pre-test conversation, directly during the test and at the stage of communication upon completion of the survey procedure.

In this case, the polygraph examiner pays attention to the appearance of the interviewed person, the form of his behavior, emotional state, speech, level of intelligence, strategies and methods of decision-making and to everything that is united by the concept of kinesics, i.e. non-verbal manifestations — facial expressions, «vocal facial expressions», pantomime, etc.

It is absolutely clear that a sufficiently trained polygraph examiner, possessing a certain professional and life experience coupled with the knowledge of a practical psychologist, is able to perceive a significant amount of such information and draw conclusions, for example, about the psychotype of the person being interviewed, the presence of various kinds of character accentuations, the peculiarities of his cognitive processes, emotional or volitional sphere.

At each stage of the polygraph test, the method of analyzing, structuring and systematizing this kind of information can be completely different. This method is determined by the specific goals of a specific episode of testing. And the conclusions made should contribute to solving the main task of the psychophysiological study.

Some features of the respondent's behavior immediately after passing the tests (after the sensors were removed) are of interest. If we assume that up to this point the polygraph examiner has not made any serious mistakes in his work, has maintained stable psychological contact with the test subject, and has paid attention to optimizing his condition. If the specialist has instilled in the respondent confidence that the survey result will be highly reliable and errors will be minimized, then the actual mental state of the «involved» and «truthful» respondents will differ.

For the «uninvolved» respondent, this state will be associated, for example, with a sense of accomplishment, a successfully passed test, psychological catharsis or relief.

And the «lying» respondent gets a different mental state. It is associated with a significant degree of mental stress and a spectrum of emotions of a completely different kind. It is accompanied by the inclusion of various kinds of defense mechanisms and the involvement of the energy reserves of the psyche. Anyone who has at least once been subjected to such a verification procedure, having some negativity behind them, understands perfectly well how such a person being tested feels.

The analysis of the situation and the internal processes of the psyche of the respondent of this category determined by it can be carried out using any approaches based on known psychological theories, effects and phenomena (the theory of cognitive dissonance, conflict theory, adaptation theory, etc.).

In general, any conscious human behavior can be represented as a sequence — MOTIVE-GOAL-ACTION-RESULT. In our particular situation, the sequence is not completed by the result. The one who was involved in the event subject to investigation during the polygraph test and, participating in this event, strove for a certain result, was naturally motivated by certain motives, set certain goals for himself, and actually performed a certain set of actions. At the same time, the achieved result was associated with the desire to keep his actions secret, to remain, as they say, «clean» in the eyes of others. And the polygraph test, the actions of the polygraph examiner transfer such a result to the category of unachieved.

At one time, B.V. Zeigarnik, a Russian psychologist and the founder of pathopsychology, conducted a series of experiments on unfinished actions. The dependence of memorization productivity on the dynamics of the subject's needs (the «completeness» of actions) became known in psychology as the «Zeigarnik effect». Unfinished actions, actions that had a goal but were interrupted and did not lead to a certain result were remembered much better. According to some ideas, forced interruption of actions gives rise to a certain «quasi-need» to achieve a result, transferring it to the category of special significance.

In this regard, the experiments of Tamara Dembo (a student of K. Levin) aimed at studying frustration are also interesting. During the experimental studies, their participants were given a clearly impossible task (the well-known “flower” experiment), which caused the corresponding reactions.

Frustration is primarily a negative emotional state that manifests itself in oppressive tension, anxiety, a sense of hopelessness and despair. The source of the state of frustration is an obstacle, a barrier, the impossibility of achieving the set goal. Frustration is inextricably linked with the concept of psychological «stamina» of a person. If the reserve of psychological fortitude does not correspond to the situation, then pronounced behavioral reactions arise, which can be conditionally divided into several groups.

The first group of reactions— aggression (direct, situational or indirect). The strength of aggression depends on the intensity of the motive, the degree of possibility of achieving the object or the proximity to the intended goal. As a rule, aggression is accompanied by destructive behavior.

Second group — motor excitement, aimless and disordered movements.

Third group — regression (including emotional). Regression, which is understood either «as an appeal to behavioral models that dominated in earlier periods of the individual's life,» or as «primitivization» of behavior.

Fourth group— apathy (in a well-known study, one of the children in a frustrating situation lay down on the floor and looked at the ceiling).

The fifth group — withdrawal. This includes:

• Rationalization
• Substitution — an attempt to replace the original situation with one similar in content, degree of subjective difficulty, connection with the same people;
• Fantasizing. «Withdrawal» from the real situation into the realm of fantasies, dreams, dreams, that is, the transition to actions in a kind of «magical» world.

It seems that from the personal experience of practicing polygraph examiners one can cite a sufficient number of examples of frustrated behavior. Probably many have met sobbing subjects, downright moaning about their hard lot (regression). Some polygraph examiners had to protect the polygraph from destruction due to the “fair” anger of an “undeservedly” suspected respondent (situational aggression). I have also seen those who, nervously fingering something, appealed to the fact that they “have undergone similar tests thousands of times” in more serious cases, and “thousands of times everyone could see for themselves their exceptional decency” (substitution for a similar situation). I have heard the words: “I don’t care anymore.” And from the behavior of the people who said them, it was clear that they really “don’t care anymore” (apathy). And what is the example of non-standard behavior worth, when a girl began to see in the pattern of wall wallpaper amazing, downright fantastic images and scenes of unambiguous content (fantasying).

The state of frustration and the behavioral manifestations accompanying it indicate the lack of a sufficient reserve of emotional and psychological strength. The mental reserves of the body are exhausted, they are clearly not enough to overcome the stressful situation, which was a survey using a polygraph with possible conclusions based on its results. The state of frustration is a kind of signal for the polygraph examiner, a fertile field for further implementation of a set of influence techniques, the final goal of which may be to obtain a confession.

A somewhat different picture is observed when the «involved» respondent turns out to be a «tougher nut to crack» or, as they say, «can take a hit.» His attempts to adapt to the external situation are more successful. In this case, his behavior can be described using the model of the defense mechanism. For the most part, such defense mental mechanisms function at an unconscious level. However, the action of mental defense mechanisms alone cannot explain the diversity of human behavior in a non-standard situation. Along with psychological defenses at the subconscious level, the individual also uses conscious behavior strategies and manipulations aimed at modifying the surrounding reality in order to eliminate or reduce the degree of threat to the individual from external influences. Such strategies represent a higher personal-motivational level. But in our psyche, all its higher levels are inextricably linked with simpler formations and manifestations. These higher levels are mediated and created on the basis of lower-order levels. Everything more complex, higher has absorbed all the patterns (albeit in a transformed, transformed form) of the functioning of the simpler. The mechanisms of activation, flow and functioning of unconscious mental defense are similar to the mechanisms of conscious «quasi-psychological» defense strategies.

It is well known that the methods of reaction and protection of the psyche are inextricably linked with the personality type, its psychological makeup. Having understood the psychological characteristics of the personality, we can talk about the supposed mechanisms of protection, as well as vice versa.

A polygraph specialist, using psychological knowledge, can resort to any method of typologizing the personality. The example given below is only one of the possible options for systematizing information about the personality of the respondents.

The approach to analyzing and identifying defense mechanisms and “quasi-psychological” defense strategies is based on a personality typology based on two basic parameters of human higher nervous activity:

1. Excitability — inhibition, as a parameter of the predominant activity of the central nervous system;
2. Extraversion — introversion, as a parameter determining the communicative orientation of the individual.

Based on these two basic personality parameters, we can distinguish five main personality types:

1. Excitable extrovert;
2. Excitable introvert;
3. Inhibited extrovert;
4. Inhibited introvert;
5. Stable ambivert.

The main personality traits most characteristic of these types are:

Excitable extrovert— High self-esteem; sociability, activity, self-confidence. This type in communication strives for dominance, submission and control of others, strives for straightforward action, not particularly taking into account the opinions of other people. Can be impulsive, quick-tempered, aggressive, impatient with objections, does not like to obey.

Excitable introvert— High self-esteem. Interpersonal contacts are selective. In communication: can be overly polite, obsequious. As a rule, not inclined to frankness, intrusive. In conversation, excessively focuses on small details. This type is sometimes suspicious, anxious; proud, vindictive. Can be aggressive, harsh in assessments, straightforward, intolerant of the opinions of other people.

Inhibited extrovert — Self-esteem can vary from overestimated to underestimated. Easily establishes new interpersonal contacts, talkative, easy to communicate with, good-natured, «open» to others, responsive. Can be carefree. His mood is subject to rapid changes from joyful to sad. Under the influence of external factors, he can be irritable, capricious, anxious.

Inhibited introvert— Self-esteem is low. This type is uncommunicative, impressionable, prone to suspiciousness, indecisiveness, doubts. Shows sensitivity to the opinions of others. Submissive, susceptible to influence, shy, prone to anxiety, timidity. Can be irritable.

Stable ambivert— Self-esteem is adequate. Sociable, but selective in interpersonal contacts. Usually calm, balanced, reserved, tactful, takes into account the opinions of others. Able to obey, active, not prone to contradiction, in stressful situations able to control their behavior and act taking into account the situation and the opinions of other people.

The choice of the method for analyzing the mechanisms of psychological defense is also quite traditional. Such mechanisms include:

1. Projection (movement, transference — attributing one's own negative feelings, desires and qualities to other people)

All people have undesirable qualities and personality traits that they are reluctant to admit in themselves, and sometimes do not admit at all. The mechanism of projection is that a person unconsciously attributes his own negative qualities, desires, and attitudes to another person (projects them onto him), and, as a rule, in an exaggerated form (wealthy people place an elderly parent in a nursing home and are outraged by the indifferent or bad attitude of the staff). In projection, the internal is mistakenly perceived as happening outside.

An example of projection: a husband reproaches his wife for being asexual, while he himself is not sexually active.

Indicator of a psychological defense strategy: Conflict behavior: verbal aggression: accusations of the polygraph examiner of bias, incompetence, bad attitude, bullying, causing harm to health, etc. («You deliberately fabricated all this against me!»).

2. Substitution(transfer of reaction from an «inaccessible» object to another, more «accessible» one, or replacement of an unacceptable action with an acceptable one). It is expressed by reorientation from a topic that causes anxiety and unpleasant sensations to another or, less often, by partial, indirect satisfaction of an unacceptable motive in some morally acceptable way.

Typical situations of substitution are, for example:

• after a conflict with a boss at work, an individual takes out his anger on family members, pets (there is also rationalization here);
• a person crumples a piece of paper during an important, exciting conversation;
• a girl, when her friend says «your boyfriend always lets you down», throws away the cat sitting on her lap.

Indicator of a psychological defense strategy:

Suspicion, conflict behavior: verbal aggression with accusations of third parties in an attempt to «set up, unfairly accuse, discredit» (reference to «defective» equipment, to the inaccuracy of the polygraph, etc.)

3. Denial. (the desire to avoid new information that is incompatible with one's own ideas about reality)

When reality is unpleasant for a person, he denies the existence of troubles or tries to reduce the seriousness of the threat; i.e., unrealistic desires, impulses and intentions, as well as facts and actions are not recognized, rejected by unconsciously denying their existence (with denial, the real phenomenon is considered non-existent).

Denial — the first reaction of a person who has been told of the death of a loved one — «No!». It goes into childish egocentrism — «If I don't admit it, then it didn't happen.»

Examples of denial — a wife denying the danger of her husband who beats her; an alcoholic insisting that he has no problem with alcohol.

Indicator of a psychological defense strategy:

Excessive embellishment of the actual state of affairs, presenting oneself and others only in a positive light. Negative information is completely denied («this couldn't have happened», «this is some kind of mistake», «how can you suspect someone, we have such wonderful people working for us!» etc.)

4. Somatization. This form of defense is expressed in a way out of a difficult situation by focusing on the state of one's health (schoolchildren «get sick» before tests, criminal suspects complain of serious health problems). In these cases, the main benefit from the illness is an improvement in attitude and a decrease in demands from others.

Indicator of quasi-psychological defense strategy:

Manifested in behavior as a desire to avoid a conversation on an unpleasant or undesirable topic by complaining about feeling unwell, having an illness, or feeling worse from undergoing SPFO. May be manifested by simulating somatic symptoms: voluntary cough, shortness of breath, complaints of acute pain in various organs during SPFO.

5. Avoidance. This type of defense may manifest itself in two forms:

5.1 Avoidance of recalling and discussing unwanted information — manifests itself in avoiding mentioning specific information in the form of generalized, stereotypical information, devoid of particulars and details, frequent repetitions of irrelevant information, avoiding direct questions on other topics, facts not related to a specific event, in extremely vague, vague and unrealistic answers, answers with an abundance of complex professional terminology, the desire to take the position of an outside observer («this is how they usually do it», «this is what they say», «this is how you should act», etc.). A position that is advantageous to the speaker is possible («fight for justice», «criticism of social shortcomings»).

5.2. Avoidance of an unwanted situation (the desire to avoid a situation in any way related to unwanted information)

Indicator of a psychological defense strategy:

It manifests itself in avoiding contact related to the discussion of a threatening or unacceptable topic; in behavior it can manifest itself in excuses (“I’m late,” “I don’t have time,” “I have urgent matters,” “my relative is sick,” etc.), impatience, the desire to artificially limit time (“let’s finish quickly, time is limited, my boss is waiting for me,” etc.)

6. Rationalization. (subjectively unacceptable information is logically transformed, due to which one’s own behavior appears as well-controlled and not contradicting objective circumstances)

The concept of «rationalization» was introduced into psychology by E. Jones in 1908. In this case, we are talking about an attempt to rationally justify desires and actions caused by a reason, the recognition of which would threaten the loss of self-respect (for example, not wanting to lend, you can always find many reasons why you cannot lend; an unpleasant person can always be found to have a bunch of shortcomings, although hostility is not associated with them; a patient can explain his interest in medical literature by the need to broaden his horizons).

Indicator of psychological defense strategy:

It manifests itself in the form of a logically consistent and reasoned position of the impossibility of any involvement in a particular event (“I couldn’t do it because: (I’ve been working here for a long time, I have incentives, my management values ​​me very much), (.. . I would later regret it very much, worry, and I have very poor health), (.. .. I don’t need it, since the missing amount is small for me, I need several times more), etc.

The relationship between personality types and psychological defense mechanisms is as follows:

The analysis of the respondent's behavior, his mental characteristics and current mental state, as mentioned earlier, is carried out throughout the polygraph survey. But a special role in this is given to the post-test interview (a mandatory stage of the survey using a polygraph). Following the logic of the presented material, during the interview after the test it is possible:

1. To find out whether the respondent is in a frustrated state. Whether some psychological defense mechanisms are activated. Whether the respondent tends to use some conscious «quasi-psychological» defense strategies.
2. The presence of such manifestations in the respondent is another additional segment of information in favor of making a decision on the «accusatory version».
3. If the respondent's response indicates frustration (i.e., the mental reserves are exhausted), then this is the basis for making a decision on the use of some additional methods of psychological influence on him. This influence is carried out both by the polygraph examiner and by other interested parties (the initiator, the customer, etc.) in order to obtain a confession from him (the respondent). Moreover, this set of measures must be carried out in the nearest future (20 minutes, maximum 1 hour).
4. The absence of frustration when recording certain methods of protection associated with the psychotype of the respondent helps to understand the latter more deeply. If necessary, this knowledge can be used to develop and implement a delayed, prepared, thoughtful program of work with the respondent in the future.

The form of the post-test interview itself is determined by a set of various factors from the specifics of the situation and the plot of the case, to the depth of the creative approach of the polygraph examiner himself. The post-test conversation can be conducted both with the sensors removed and with the sensors attached, with the presentation of recorded reactions and without demonstrating polygrams.

After the test, the specialist may, for example, ask what stimulus was the most critical or significant for the respondent. If this stimulus is of interest to the polygraph examiner, then the further conversation is built around it.

If the respondent states that all questions were clear to him and did not cause any particular emotions. If he states that all questions were equally insignificant, then the polygraph examiner can begin to list the stimuli included in the testing. In this case, the specialist determines the order of discussing the questions. The questions can be listed in the order they were presented during the survey, or start with those stimuli to which the reactions were minimal. The polygraph examiner evaluates the methods of evaluating the questions, the behavior accompanying them, and the components of speech. Compares certain manifestations to questions to which there were no reactions and to questions that had (according to the polygram recording) high situational significance.

It is possible to try to artificially create significance for some questions during the interview that previously had no pronounced physiological response during the recording of polygrams.

It should be said that within the framework of this publication I would not like to describe in more detail the entire structure and all the tasks of the post-test interview in order to prevent disclosure of professional information. Since such information can be used against the polygraph examiner.

It is permissible to only briefly touch on the topic of psychological techniques used by the specialist. They are quite well known among practical psychologists. These may be pauses, breaks in patterns, a sharp change in the behavior of the specialist (for example, at the most important place to stand up and silently leave), unexpected questions in a direct formulation, etc.

We provide the opportunity for the specialists themselves to conduct a psychological analysis of the situation, the techniques used in the excerpts from famous films given at the beginning of the publication.

The materials of the publication were prepared with the participation of the specialist of the Federal Customs Service of the Russian Federation Sevustyanenko Yu.A.