Some companies and organizations are trying to use polygraphs as one of the filtering stages in the hiring process. What I’m about to write may be criticized by “polygraph experts,” but what I’m saying is just simple logic.
1. No polygraph can tell you how a person will behave in a critical situation in the future. A person is unable to envision their future state. They model it based on the values, principles, and goals they hold in the present. For example, one might consider themselves to be an absolutely honest person, but if your child falls ill and you see an unattended suitcase full of money, you simply cannot predict your behavior in that specific future moment.
2. There is also a rule that for one broken person, you get two unbroken ones. Who should you really trust more: someone who has never stolen (perhaps because they never had the opportunity?) or someone who has seriously stolen once and absolutely did not like it? Why is it common in religious practice to believe in those who have repented?
3. Answers. The honest answer for 99% of the population to the question of whether they have committed criminal offenses would be “yes.” One could say “no,” and the device might show that this is true, but only because the person didn’t think carefully about their response. Why would the answer be “yes”? Let me ask those reading this post, what operating system did you use to launch your web browser, and is it licensed? (Mine is licensed). Then I’ll ask if there was ever a time when you accidentally took something from a supermarket or, back in the USSR, from a store? By the way, that’s theft. Have you ever lied to your boss? And who really remembers? 🙂 And so on. Perhaps such questions are needed just to see a person’s reaction? In that case, it’s just a circus.
4. Reaction. A polygraph does not indicate whether a person is lying or not. It shows whether the person’s response to a question is causing them stress. In this case, if a person is asked questions that concern them, the device will produce a misleading picture of deception. If one tries to use a polygraph to investigate an internal crime and simply narrow down the list of suspects, the most vivid readings will actually be produced for honest individuals. Remember Zina’s reaction when Sharikov accused her of stealing money.
5. Subjective assessment. For example, if a person is asked questions about their drug use and it turns out that two years ago they used drugs (smoked weed) once a year, last year a couple of times, and this year four times, an outsider might see an unpleasant trend. However, in reality, the person only smoked weed when their friend visited from Amsterdam and brought something with them. It just happened that way; there was no intentional desire behind it. Additionally, if the tester has a worldview that drugs should only be used “when you’re young,” then drug use by an older person will seem strange to them. Logically, it would make more sense for established individuals to explore such things rather than thoughtless youth.
6. The tester’s understanding of the questions they are asking and the answers they are receiving. For example, a question about gambling addiction. The interest in whether a person is inclined towards gambling addiction It’s clear. However, a one-word answer to the question “Have you played for money this year?” would be “yes” for any bridge or preference enthusiast. There’s hardly any gambling involved. These games are even referred to as not gambling games, but rather commercial ones. When played correctly, the value of the “vista” is set in such a way that players are not tempted to go overboard, rather than to risk losing everything or striking it rich. If the person asking is not familiar with the nuances of how the game of preference works, depending on whether the “vista” has any value or not, they might conclude, from their own perspective, that the person is prone to gambling and, moreover, systematically spends time on it— a gambling addict!
A man went to the sauna, took a shower, and when he stepped into the changing room, he remembered that he had forgotten his towel at home. He looked around and saw a sign that said, “Do not dry off with the curtains.” “Oh, that’s an idea,” thought the man. Often, during polygraph tests, they ask questions and suggest options that you wouldn’t even think of, which can ultimately harm the company. Why suggest using the curtains?
8. The ambiguity of answers even to seemingly straightforward questions. For example, a question like: “Is anyone at the company interested in your application?” The “fluffy” answer is no. The honest answer is always yes. If you somehow find yourself in the company’s premises, then someone, at least an HR employee tasked with filling the vacancy, is definitely interested in your employment. Or a question like: “Are you applying to our company because you haven’t found any other job?” Again, the “fluffy” answer is no, while the honest answer is yes. Why? Well, for instance, if there are currently no other offers, then you are being honest. But if there are, then you are actually misleading people and making them hope for you when you have more than one offer from employers in your pocket.
Philosophically, trust, as I have already… wrote. It’s a mutual thing. If your potential employer isn’t inclined to trust you, then you shouldn’t trust them either. I’ve had a similar experience twice in my life. Once, I refused to take a polygraph test, demanding a similar test for the employer’s manager. The second time, it turned out that the manager was a smart person who didn’t have an air of superiority and had already undergone such testing himself. I passed the test and was offered the job, but I was left with such a heavy feeling that it became one of the main sources of my doubts when deciding whether to accept the offer, and in the end, I declined.
Actually, the polygraph is intended for symptomatic treatment, to address the manifestation of a problem rather than the problem itself. If in an organization where a person is going, stealing is possible, then people will steal whether there is a polygraph or not. I’ve already mentioned this. wrote. Текст для перевода: ..
The fundamental issue of theft and corruption needs to be addressed not with polygraphs, but by changing the social structure. However, that’s a completely different matter altogether. history 🙂