Can You Pass a Lie Detector Test?

Most people have probably heard someone somewhere saying that they have what it takes to beat a lie detector test because they're just so good at lying. This is not the easiest statement to back up. After all, if lie detectors were that easy to beat, a lot of groups that use them, including law enforcement, would probably have stopped using them by now.

Many people who claim that they can beat a lie detector test don't have much of a clue about how the test is conducted. Those who do understand why a lie detector test can be challenging to beat even for expert liars.

The only time someone trying to beat a lie detector is going to have a high chance of success is if the investigator conducting the test is an amateur. The accuracy of lie detector tests is highly dependent on the level of skill and experience of the person conducting it. This is why experienced detectives can boldly claim accuracy levels of 90% and above.

With this in mind, it's also important to remember that modern lie detectors are very different from their analogue forefathers.

Passing a lie detector test should be easy enough if you're telling the truth. Telling the truth doesn't create as much stress as lying. This means that there'll be lower levels of stress-related responses such as increased perspiration and blood pressure.

Although some people argue that telling the truth doesn't guarantee you'll pass a lie detector test, investigators take a lot of time to eliminate the factors that can cause such errors e.g. by working to eliminate any nervousness you might be feeling.

The only way someone can pass a lie detector test while lying is if they are a government or military agent who has spent a long time being trained how to beat such tests. A normal citizen is highly unlikely to beat the test because there are a lot of factors that investigators use to determine if a person is lying. Sometimes, the investigator can tell you're lying even before looking at the test results since they have learnt to look for these 'tells' over time.

A person who is using one of the many tricks that people claim is able to fool the test is also unlikely to pass the test. Even if they are able to get the machine to show certain responses, they won't be able to prevent it from revealing other responses that can tell the investigator the subject is trying to trick the test.