SurvivingInfidelity.com^®

Am wondering about polygraph tests. Has anyone used them in their discovery and decision making process? If yes was it helpful? Thoughts?

If I need to put my spouse on a polygraph machine — time for me to fly.

All that and they get beat like a drum. I was a military intel guy, people beat the machine way too often, it is why the results cannot be used in court.

However, some people get ‘parking lot confessions’ outside of a polygraph testing place, at least that’s what some members have shared here.

Ultimately, if I can’t get the answers I need by asking questions (and I guess I asked enough questions to know when the answers changed), then I can’t be with that person.

Answering my 5 billion questions is how my wife earned back trust.

I can’t get trust off a test I can’t trust.

Besides, it is only yes or no questions and some answers don’t get a follow up. I think they can create more questions, I think they can cause fear in a person taking the test. I have seen people here who used them and soon after wanted to go back and ask more questions with another test.

I don’t see it as a tool for keeping an M together.

Regardless of the debate on if they work or not, polygraphs are useful in the afore mentioned "parking lot confession" and probably more importantly, as a consequence of the WS’s actions. Not only did their actions result in having to answer humiliating questions by a total stranger, but that a machine is required for anyone to believe a word the WS says.

I don't know if you can ask enough of the right questions in a polygraph test to really get all of the answers you want, tho I suppose 80-ish% accuracy is better than just using your gut to trust a proven liar.

I think they're most effective for the aforementioned parking lot confessions. I've seen a few stories where the wayward spouse makes itnall the way to the parking lot and they're so anxious about failing the test that they just spill their guts in the parking lot.

Then I've seen a couple where deception was shown and the BS stayed anyway. That's the thing, if you do go through with it, then I think you should stick to your guns and do what you say you're going to do. You need to have a purpose for it. "If it shows you're being deceptive then that's it. I'm filing for divorce." I wouldn't do it just to find out if there's deception, then of it's shown, you still stay. It has to have a purpose. Plus you're more likely to get that confession if the stakes are real.

If you do it, then I think you need to go all the way and trust the results. If no deception is shown then you accept it. If deception is shown, then you accept that and file for divorce.