Editing Polygraph (section)

==Countermeasures==
Several proposed countermeasures designed to pass polygraph tests have been described. There are two major types of countermeasures:  "general state" (intending to alter the physiological or psychological state of the subject during the test), and "specific point" (intending to alter the physiological or psychological state of the subject at specific periods during the examination, either to increase or decrease responses during critical examination periods).<ref name="dpca.state.ny.us"/>
* '''General state''': asked how he passed the polygraph test, [[Central Intelligence Agency]] officer turned [[KGB]] mole [[Aldrich Ames]] explained that he sought advice from his [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] handler and received the simple instruction to: "Get a good night's sleep, and rest, and go into the test rested and relaxed. Be nice to the polygraph examiner, develop a rapport, and be cooperative and try to maintain your calm".<ref name="david">Weiner, Tim, David Johnston, and Neil A. Lewis, ''Betrayal: The Story of Aldrich Ames, an American Spy,'' 1995.</ref>  Additionally, Ames explained, "There's no special magic... Confidence is what does it. Confidence and a friendly relationship with the examiner... rapport, where you smile and you make him think that you like him".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dailypress.com/1994/04/29/ames-separated-spy-agent-lives/|title=Ames: Separated Spy, Agent Lives|work=tribunedigital-dailypress|date=29 April 1994 |access-date=2012-06-01|archive-date=2013-12-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212021732/http://articles.dailypress.com/1994-04-29/news/9404290219_1_aldrich-h-ames-soviet-defectors-spy|url-status=live}}</ref>
* '''Specific point''': other suggestions for countermeasures include for the subject to mentally record the control and relevant questions as the examiner reviews them before the interrogation begins. During the interrogation the subject is supposed to carefully control their [[breathing]] while answering the relevant questions, and to try to artificially increase their [[heart rate]] during the control questions, for example by thinking of something scary or exciting, or by pricking themselves with a pointed object concealed somewhere on the body. In this way the results will not show a significant reaction to any of the relevant questions.<ref name="tremor">Lykken, David T. ''A Tremor in the Blood: Uses and Abuses of the Lie Detector,'' 2nd ed., New York: Plenum Trade, 1998, pp. 273–279.</ref>