NCJ Number
196942
Journal
Polygraph Volume: 31 Issue: 2 Dated: 2002 Pages: 145-153
Editor(s)
Deedra Senter
Date Published
2002
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This paper describes the results of two experiments assessing the validity of voice stress analysis for the detection of deception.
Abstract
The use of a new technique developed to detect short-term physiological changes that occur in the voice when an individual is under stress, as when he or she is lying has the potential to provide a number of advantages over current physiological methodology. This study conducted two experiments to assess the validity of voice stress analysis. The first experiment was a low-stress experiment of detection of deception in a controlled, laboratory situation. Participants consisted of 16 undergraduate students taking a psychology course at the University of Utah. The second experiment (high stress) was of 14 criminal suspects undergoing polygraph examinations where their verbal answers to test questions were tape recorded. The results of the high stress study showed that reliable changes occurred in the voice which were correlates of short-term psychological stress evidenced by changes in the autonomic nervous system. However, no significant results were obtained in the low-stress study. This suggests the hypothesis that a certain amount of stress must be reached within an individual before reliable stress-related changes occur in the voice. Tables and references