Academic Journal
Polygraph testing abuses in National Registry of Exonerations false confession cases.
| Title: | Polygraph testing abuses in National Registry of Exonerations false confession cases. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Denkinger, Ben1 (AUTHOR) denkinge@augsburg.edu, Harper, Jeremy2 (AUTHOR), Yoon, Henry1 (AUTHOR), Iacono, William2 (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Legal & Criminological Psychology. Sep2026, Vol. 31 Issue 2, p535-550. 16p. |
| Subject Terms: | *Lie detectors & detection, *False positive error, *Confession (Law), *Criminal justice system, *Disease risk factors, *Exoneration, *Police questioning |
| Abstract: | Purpose: We investigated the context and consequences of polygraph administration during the interrogation of criminal suspects who falsely confessed and were later exonerated. We expected that polygraph results for these exonerees would reflect false positives, or cases in which innocent suspects were told they failed when they actually passed. Method: Based on false confession cases documented by the National Registry of Exonerations, we reviewed original source documents to identify instances where a polygraph was administered during interrogation, resulting in a final sample of 56 cases. Case documents were reviewed to determine the polygraph outcome, how the outcome was conveyed to the exoneree, the strength of evidence implicating the exonerees prior to polygraph administration, and the presence of demographic and psychological vulnerabilities previously associated with false confessions. Results: Of the 36 cases where polygraph examiner decisions were reported, only eight were accurate. In all but one case, suspects were told that the polygraph indicated deception, even when inconclusive or exculpatory. Polygraphs were often administered in the absence of strong incriminating evidence and to individuals who possessed vulnerabilities known to increase false confession risk. Conclusions: These results represent the largest known repository of cases involving polygraphic interrogation of demonstrably innocent individuals who falsely confessed. None of the exonerees benefited from taking the polygraph, regardless of the outcome. We refer to the use of polygraphs to convince suspects they have been incriminated by their own bodily responses as a Polygraph Self‐Incrimination Ploy, an interrogation technique that contributes to false confessions in vulnerable individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Database: | Academic Search Index |
| FullText | Text: Availability: 0 CustomLinks: – Url: https://resolver.ebsco.com/c/fiv2js/result?sid=EBSCO:asx&genre=article&issn=13553259&ISBN=&volume=31&issue=2&date=20260901&spage=535&pages=535-550&title=Legal & Criminological Psychology&atitle=Polygraph%20testing%20abuses%20in%20National%20Registry%20of%20Exonerations%20false%20confession%20cases.&aulast=Denkinger%2C%20Ben&id=DOI:10.1111/lcrp.70027 Name: Full Text Finder (for New FTF UI) (ns324271) Category: fullText Text: Full Text Finder MouseOverText: Full Text Finder |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Polygraph testing abuses in National Registry of Exonerations false confession cases. – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Denkinger%2C+Ben%22">Denkinger, Ben</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> denkinge@augsburg.edu</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Harper%2C+Jeremy%22">Harper, Jeremy</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Yoon%2C+Henry%22">Yoon, Henry</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Iacono%2C+William%22">Iacono, William</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR) – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Legal+%26+Criminological+Psychology%22">Legal & Criminological Psychology</searchLink>. Sep2026, Vol. 31 Issue 2, p535-550. 16p. – Name: Subject Label: Subject Terms Group: Su Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Lie+detectors+%26+detection%22">Lie detectors & detection</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22False+positive+error%22">False positive error</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Confession+%28Law%29%22">Confession (Law)</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Criminal+justice+system%22">Criminal justice system</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Disease+risk+factors%22">Disease risk factors</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Exoneration%22">Exoneration</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Police+questioning%22">Police questioning</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: Purpose: We investigated the context and consequences of polygraph administration during the interrogation of criminal suspects who falsely confessed and were later exonerated. We expected that polygraph results for these exonerees would reflect false positives, or cases in which innocent suspects were told they failed when they actually passed. Method: Based on false confession cases documented by the National Registry of Exonerations, we reviewed original source documents to identify instances where a polygraph was administered during interrogation, resulting in a final sample of 56 cases. Case documents were reviewed to determine the polygraph outcome, how the outcome was conveyed to the exoneree, the strength of evidence implicating the exonerees prior to polygraph administration, and the presence of demographic and psychological vulnerabilities previously associated with false confessions. Results: Of the 36 cases where polygraph examiner decisions were reported, only eight were accurate. In all but one case, suspects were told that the polygraph indicated deception, even when inconclusive or exculpatory. Polygraphs were often administered in the absence of strong incriminating evidence and to individuals who possessed vulnerabilities known to increase false confession risk. Conclusions: These results represent the largest known repository of cases involving polygraphic interrogation of demonstrably innocent individuals who falsely confessed. None of the exonerees benefited from taking the polygraph, regardless of the outcome. We refer to the use of polygraphs to convince suspects they have been incriminated by their own bodily responses as a Polygraph Self‐Incrimination Ploy, an interrogation technique that contributes to false confessions in vulnerable individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1111/lcrp.70027 Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 16 StartPage: 535 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Lie detectors & detection Type: general – SubjectFull: False positive error Type: general – SubjectFull: Confession (Law) Type: general – SubjectFull: Criminal justice system Type: general – SubjectFull: Disease risk factors Type: general – SubjectFull: Exoneration Type: general – SubjectFull: Police questioning Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Polygraph testing abuses in National Registry of Exonerations false confession cases. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Denkinger, Ben – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Harper, Jeremy – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Yoon, Henry – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Iacono, William IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 09 Text: Sep2026 Type: published Y: 2026 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 13553259 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 31 – Type: issue Value: 2 Titles: – TitleFull: Legal & Criminological Psychology Type: main |
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