NRC 2003
Definition
The National Research Council's *The Polygraph and Lie Detection* (2003), the most comprehensive scientific review of polygraph validity. Found no scientific basis for CQT use in employee screening and limited utility in specific-incident investigations.
- Publisher
- National Research Council (US)
- Title
- The Polygraph and Lie Detection (2003)
- Finding on employee screening
- No scientific basis for CQT use
- Finding on specific-incident use
- Limited but non-zero utility
Common questions
Does the NRC 2003 report reject polygraph testing outright?+
No, it draws a distinction: it found essentially no scientific support for using the control question technique in broad security screening, while acknowledging some limited discriminating value when applied to a specific, well-defined incident.
How is the report typically used in court proceedings?+
Parties challenging polygraph admissibility frequently cite it as authoritative evidence of the technique's scientific limitations, and it is often referenced alongside cases like United States v. Scheffer when arguing against reliance on polygraph results.
Related terms
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- Concealed Information Test (CIT)
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- Control Question Test (CQT)
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- False Positive (PDD)
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- Frye Standard
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- Selvi V. State of Karnataka (2010)
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- US V. Scheffer (1998)
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