Posted by:
elderolddog
(
)
Date: August 11, 2015 01:46AM
There is some basic physiology that allows 'lie detectors' to work. But it is understood that there are ways to mask the physiological changes that are measured by lie detectors in order to indicate the possibility or likelihood that a response is a lie. So having the control necessary means that the 'lie' the subject utters does not cause any physiological changes and the examiner says, 'not a lie.'
But for ordinary folk, they work...
So imagine a shop in the mall where for $39.99, you can sit with an examiner and ask a subject questions for 20 minutes. You can have the examiner wearing ear protection so he or she can't hear the question, you'll just get a thumb's up or a thumb's down each time the subject gives a response.
I thought of this while reading the 'my wife outed me to the bishop' thread. Would the OP want to know if she is planning on leaving him?
Are there times in your life when spending $40 to get a read on a person would be worth the price? Sure, it wouldn't be 100% reliable, but most of us aren't dealing with sociopaths or psychopaths.
I understand that there are some employers who use lie detector questioning as part of the hiring process. Obviously there are some government jobs where it would be pro forma.
I think there would be some initial resistance to the idea of having lie detectors available for casual use, but might it not be useful for settling simple issues or misunderstandings?
"Okay, let's go to the mall. I want to ask you ...
about the lipstick on your collar
why there's only $22 in our bank account
who all is going on the business trip
when you last talked to your ex-wife
how come I found a condom in your purse
how the left front quarter panel got dented
... and I want to know that I'm hearing the truth!"
My ex lied and lied and lied and lied... It would have been the best $40 I'd ever spent to have known that. I probably would have met my G/F a year sooner!
Anyway, I know that there is no "Essence of Truth" salon coming to a mall near you in the foreseeable future.