Question

FORENSICS HELP!!!

A suspect is taking a polygraph and is asked a specific question about the victim. The suspect's heart rate increases and their breathing speeds up. The interrogator records this as a negative reading, indicating that he is lying. The interrogator then asks a question about the suspect's name, with the same results. What might this indicate?

The first answer was a false negative, and the suspect was telling the truth.
The first answer was the truth, and the suspect is guilty.
The first answer was a lie, and the suspect is guilty.
The first answer was a false positive, and the suspect was lying.

Answer 1

The first answer was a false negative, and the suspect was telling the truth

Step-by-step explanation:

A polygraph machine uses some physiological changes to detect if a person is guilty or not. In this case, the same physiological change is read in a question with unknown validity and a question with known validity. Since the first reading had been recorded as negative, after the second question, the first question was seen to be a false negative and the suspect was probably telling the truth. An explanation could be that that is how his body reacts in a tensed situation.

Answer 2

The first answer was a false negative, and the suspect was telling the truth.

Step-by-step explanation:

In this example, we learn that a suspect is questioned about a crime, while he is later asked about his own personal information. When the suspect talks about himself, we observe a particular reaction. We assume that this information is the truth, as we have a way to check it. When the suspect talks about the crime, we observe the same reaction. This points towards the fact that the suspect is telling the truth. Therefore, if the polygraph registers the statement as a lie, we can assume that this is a case of false negative, but that the suspect was actually telling the truth.