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There is a forty billion dollar-per-year dishonest cost in the business community, and 20 % of businesses are estimated to go out of business due to theft. Theft is a problem which is seen more and more than ever before. With the inventions of space-aged, modern technology, businesses are turning to it to fight the battle of theft. Lie Detector tests are the new defense against theft.
A lie detector tests includes a polygraph, deceptograph, voice stress analyzer, psychological stress evaluator, or similar devices. Theses devices are used to render a diagnostic opinion pertaining to the honesty or dishonesty of an individual. The main reason many government, law enforcement, and private sector employers use lie detector tests are because they think the test will frighten away liars and cheats who are seeking jobs, or it will frighten confessions out of those accused of wrongdoing. Richard Nixon stated, lie detector tests are a tool of intimidation. In this paper I will defend my thesis that lie detector tests, mainly polygraph tests, used in the screening of existing employees or new hires is immoral. The tests are discriminative, an invasion of privacy, and coercive.
One reason for accepting my thesis is that the polygraph test discriminates against false positive people because of the unreliability of the test and the person administering it. Polygraph tests continuously, visually, permanently, and simultaneously records changes in cardiovascular, respiratory, and electro dermal patterns as minimum instrumentation standards, which is used to render diagnostic opinion as to the honesty or dishonesty of an individual. The problem of nervousness, anger, sadness, embarrassment, and fear can all be causal factors in altering one's heart rate, blood pressure or respiration rate. Having to go to the bathroom can also be causative. Also, there are a number of medical conditions such as colds, headaches, constipation, or neurological and muscular problems, which can cause the physiological changes, measured by the polygraph. Any of those conditions can be present at the time of the administration of the test, and can throw off the results, giving a false conclusion.
Not only can the test be unreliable, but also the person administering it can be. David Lykken, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Minnesota and a major critic of the validity of polygraph testing, counters that the average training program for a professional polygraph examiner last six to eight weeks. The training program is about one-sixth the study time required by the average barber college. He is indicating the average barber, whose job is only significant to style, studies longer than a polygraphs, who decides whether one is honest or dishonest.
The inadequate training could possibly ruin a persons life. Not only does it seem the examiner is not trained extensively enough, but also, he can be very presumptuous. As Dr Lykken stated, he thinks of himself as a surgeon of the soul. There is a lesion in the examinee, and he thinks he has to lance it to kill it.
For example, Elizabeth M. who went to a final screening to be an FBI agent indicated the examiner persisted in acting incredulous, even though she was telling the truth, he was acting like she was a liar before she even entered the room, and he was acting very god like. He stated, If you tell me the truth it will set you free. She indicated she was very upset that the examiner did not believe her.
She got pissed off, sick and very nervous. Due to her reactions, because of the examiner, Elizabeth failed the polygraph, and was not hired by the FBI. Later, an investigation was completed, which concluded the polygraph and examiner caused the failing result, not Elizabeth. Adding to the discrepancies, which cause the polygraph to be unreliable, the polygraph can be beaten, which indicates the test is unreliable. The examinee can be a sociopath, a psychopath, or simply a good liar. A sociopath and psychopath lack a sense of moral responsibility and social conscience, so they can therefore lie and not trigger a reaction, which would otherwise cause a polygraphs to be suspicious, thus beating the test.
A good liar can have control over his emotions and beat the polygraph with little ease. In fact, some researches even argue an examinee can use simple countermeasures, such as biting his tongue or stepping on a nail concealed in his shoe to fake a strong reaction to the control questions, thus beating the test. Not only does that indicate one can beat the polygraph, but Doug Williams, a police polygraphs, proved on 60 minutes, Night watch, Dateline, CNN, and Nightly News that the polygraph can be beaten, and is a sick joke. Doug hired three polygraphist's to test examinees on false crimes, and all three polygraphist's called innocent, truthful people liars, proving the polygraph is unreliable.
Then, Doug had more examinees tested, which were taught his Sting technique. Doug had the polygraphist's ask general questions, and the examinees were instructed to lie on every question. The polygraphist's concluded those examinees were the most truthful people they have ever tested. The experiment indicates the polygraph is not reliable, and is a sick joke. If one cannot rely on something, one should not use it.
Therefore, the polygraph is immoral. The polygraph can indicate one is lying when one is telling the truth, and it would lead to one being falsely accused of lying. Also, one can lie and pass the test, yet he was the one who was rightly accused of lying. The company keeps the liar, and fires the honest person. If society is going be judged for honesty, by technology, it should be with out a doubt accurate in all aspects.
The polygraph is not without a doubt accurate. Therefore, it is morally wrong to use it in the screening of new hires or existing employees. Another reason for accepting my thesis is the tests are an invasion of privacy. Senator Sam J. Ervin, Jr. , states, There is no necessity for these infringements of freedom and invasion of privacy; but even if there were, I believe that every citizen should answer like William Pitt: Necessity is the pleas for every infringement of human liberty.
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