The British Polygraph Society

Accuracy and Validity of Polygraph Testing

Accuracy and Validity of Polygraph Testing

Scientific research has shown polygraph examinations to be highly accurate, making them very useful in the criminal justice system. The American Polygraph Association (APA) requires the following to be met before an examination can be considered valid.

  1. The polygraph examiner must be properly trained and must use an accepted procedure and scoring system.
  2. The polygraph equipment must record, at a minimum, cardiovascular, respiratory, and electrodermal activity.

The following summarizes research data collected by the APA.

Research Quantity Average Accuracy
Field examinations 12 studies
2,174 examinations

98%

Field examinations
(Independent analyses)
11 studies
1,609 examinations

92%

Laboratory simulations 41 studies
1,787 lab simulations

80%

Laboratory simulations
(Independent analyses)
16 studies
810 lab simulations

81%