THE WORLD OF SCIENCE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00149R000400030001-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 10, 1998
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: October 4, 1964
• Content Type: PREL

Sanitized. - Ap{~,roy~ed Fo4~ Reie'ase :~"
RAD10 TV R~P4RTS,?~iNC."
DSSGTJSSES L:LE DETECTION
';', DR. ALBERT H IBBS: "Were going to da.vote today+s program to
.~a discussion of lie datactars and the problem of~their growing uss~ .
by various agencies of the Federal Gova.rnmant. Serious doubts as
Ito ,the accuracy and reliability of polygraphs as lie detectors ware
~:?stablished by a Congiressional committee which recently investigated:
';: the' use of these instruments by ag,enaies of the Federal government.
;`;Une almost immed-late result was the sham curtailment in.'the uaae of '
'`lie detectors, ordered by the 'Defense Dhpartment, which previously
,had bean the govArnment~s heaviest user of these machines.
"Contrary to what may be popular be"lief, the polygraph itself
',does not detect lies. That is done by the person operating the dew
vice, in his interpretation of the results. In the wards of Repre-~
~`sentativa. ~'ohn E. Moss, Democrat of 'California and Chairman of th e
-House Government Operations Sub-committee which conducted the inquiry,
'quote, ~Th? human being is the l.e detector, not the machina,f end of
'quote. And 8O percent of the persons wha-admiinister lie detector.
tests are not qualified for the task, testified an expert, whose
frightening statistic, given to the sub-committee, went unchall.enged.,'~~
gative work.. 19 federal agencies wore, found to nwn X12 .polygrraphs
'?Tn opening the ?hearings a.n April '7th, Congressman Moss sa~.id
.his sub-ca:nmittae sought'to explore whether polygraphs should be used
by the government; and if they should, to determine the proper extant
-and conditions of .their use. He said, quote, Serious questions leave
.bean raised by responsible parsons as to whether the polygraph is'an'
:instrument which should be used far, at~y purpose,c close 'quote.
nIn a preliminary survey thc~?.:sub~committee found that polygraphs-~
were widely used in questioning applicants for federal 3oba,,checking',
personnel for securit~r clearancesy and in various forms of invest:~~.~
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