Polygraph Testing
Lizor et al.
Polygraph Testing on Deaf People and the Impact of Linguistic Accessibility
Kristin Lizor
Jessica Bentley-Sassaman 1
Kelly Roth 1
Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania
Abstract
The purpose of this comparative research study was to examine the effectiveness of a
polygraph examination for deaf participants with and without American Sign Language (ASL). A
study like this has not been conducted and the research literature is mixed on the importance of
having a signed language interpreter when polygraph examinations are being conducted on deaf
participants. With the current emphasis on ‘best practices’, it is imperative to take a close look at
the concept of linguistic accessibility and clarify some of the issues associated with the polygraph
testing procedures for deaf individuals. Improper procedures can result in wrongful convictions or
in deaf individuals not being hired for positions due to inaccurate polygraph results. For this paper,
a triangulation-design-mixed-methods research study was conducted in two locations in
Pennsylvania in two phases with a certified polygraph examiner. In Phase I, a group of deaf
participants took the polygraph examination without an interpreter present. In Phase II, the same
group returned and went back through the polygraph process with a certified legal interpreter. The
researchers used the phenomenological approach for the qualitative portion of the study. The
participants were interviewed and asked to provide their experiences and insights; it became clear
from the pattern of interview responses that an interpreter is needed to ensure effective
communication during the polygraph examination process, which helps validate the concept of
linguistic accessibility. The qualitative findings have links to the study’s quantitative portion
related to how many participants completed the polygraph examination. The provision of an
interpreter makes a dramatic difference in this outcome as compared to an examination without
any use of ASL.
Introduction
Deaf people are known for being signers and those residing in the United States and parts
of Canada are likely to be proficient in American Sign Language (ASL). The deaf community is
found to demonstrate ethnic-like qualities with Deaf culture being maintained through the use of
ASL over a long history (Lane, 2005; Lane, Pillard, & Hedberg, 2011). At the same time, deaf
people are part of the larger society that may require them to undergo a polygraph examination.
The polygraph examiner is normally a non-signer and asks questions in spoken English as part of
the test administration. The examinees hear the questions and respond accordingly. With deaf
people, little is known about how communication affects polygraph testing.
Linguistic accessibility is a rather new concept that offers a theoretical foundation for how
deaf people best perform in the communicative domain over varied settings, including that of
polygraph test taking. While ASL and English may be seen as two languages used with deaf
people, the frequently held perception is that these two languages enjoy ‘equal’ status. However,
1
Jessica Bentley-Sassaman and Kelly Roth would like to acknowledge Kristin Lizor for the research idea and for
her part in the data collection process. The majority of this article was written by Jessica Bentley-Sassaman and
Kelly Roth respectively.
SASLJ, Vol. 2, No.1 – Spring/Summer 2018
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