PLTW Biomedical Science
Principles of Biomedical Science
Polygraph Test Resource
In this activity you will use Vernier sensors for heart rate and respiratory rate and the Graphical Analysis
application to see if changes in physiological data can be used to determine if someone is lying.
Establishing a Baseline
The interviewer will ask a series of three yes/no questions. The subject should answer these questions
honestly.
Interviewer: Next to the question, make a note of the time the subject provided their answer. You will use the
time period following their answer in your analysis of the data.
Interviewer’s Questions
1. Is your name [say subject’s first and last name]?
2. Is the class we are currently in called [say name of the class]?
3. Is the name of the teacher of this class [say teacher’s name]?
4. Is the time right now 10:00 PM?
True of False
Two Truths and a Lie is a game that requires others to distinguish lies from truth. One person says three things
about themselves: two of the statements are true and one is false. The others in the group try to determine
which of the three statements is untrue by listening to verbal cues and interpreting body language. In this
version, you will use the physiological data you collect to try to determine which one of your partner’s
statements is a lie.
In the space below, write three statements about yourself. Two of the three must be true, and one must be a
lie. All three statements, including the lie, should be believable. You can write them down in any order (for
example: truth, lie, truth or lie, truth, truth).
Subject’s Name:
Subject’s Statement 1:
Subject’s Statement 2:
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PLTW Biomedical Science
Principles of Biomedical Science
Subject’s Statement 3:
Without giving any clues about the truthfulness of your statements, give them to the interviewer.
While attached to the sensors, the interviewer will ask you a series of five yes/no questions related to your
statements. The data recorded during these questions will be compared to the data recorded during the
Establishing a Baseline interview.
Interviewer: Review the statements and come up with five yes/no questions to ask the subject about their
statements. Write your questions below.
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