The influence of polygraphs on evaluators' decisions regarding sexually violent persons.

IF 2.4 2区社会学 Q1 LAW

Law and Human Behavior Pub Date : 2023-06-01 DOI:10.1037/lhb0000530

Christopher T A Gillen, Alinna J Card, Jason W Smith, Gina Ambroziak, James C Mundt, Carlie Servais

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Objective: This study examined the degree to which polygraph results affected evaluators' decisions regarding patients committed as sexually violent persons (SVPs) in Wisconsin. Specifically, we examined evaluators' opinions on patients' significant progress in treatment (SPT), suitability for supervised release, and suitability for discharge.

Hypotheses: We hypothesized that having failed a polygraph during the prior year would predict evaluators' opinions that patients did not meet criteria for SPT, supervised release, and discharge from civil commitment even after analyses controlled for other factors related to evaluators' decision making. Similarly, we hypothesized that patients taking and passing polygraphs in the year before the evaluations would predict positive recommendations for the aforementioned outcomes.

Method: All patients civilly committed under Wisconsin's SVP statute who had a Treatment Progress Report (TPR) and a Chapter 980.07 evaluation completed by a state-employed forensic evaluator in 2017 were eligible for this study; we selected a random sample of 158 participants. TPR and 980.07 evaluation reports were coded to reflect evaluators' opinions regarding SPT, supervised release, and/or discharge. All polygraph types and outcomes completed within the review period were coded.

Results: Results indicated that taking and passing polygraphs significantly predicted favorable evaluator opinions regarding SPT after analyses controlled for other potentially relevant factors. Polygraphs were not significantly predictive of discharge or supervised release recommendations after analyses controlled for other factors.

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测谎仪对评估人员就有性暴力行为者做出决定的影响。

目的：本研究调查了测谎结果在多大程度上影响了评估人员对威斯康星州性暴力犯罪（SVP）患者做出的决定。具体来说，我们研究了评估人员对患者治疗方面的重大进展（SPT）、是否适合监督释放以及是否适合出院的看法：我们假设，即使在分析控制了与评估员决策相关的其他因素后，上一年测谎失败仍会预测评估员认为患者不符合SPT、监督释放和解除民事羁留标准的意见。同样，我们假设患者在评估前一年接受并通过测谎会预测上述结果的积极建议：所有根据威斯康星州 SVP 法规被民事定罪的患者，只要在 2017 年由州政府聘用的法医评估师完成了治疗进展报告（TPR）和第 980.07 章评估，都有资格参与本研究；我们随机抽取了 158 名参与者。我们对 TPR 和 980.07 评估报告进行了编码，以反映评估员对 SPT、监督释放和/或出院的意见。对审查期内完成的所有测谎类型和结果进行了编码：结果表明，在分析控制了其他可能的相关因素后，接受并通过测谎能显著预测评估员对 SPT 的好评。在对其他因素进行控制分析后，测谎对出狱或监管释放建议的预测作用不大：结论：某些测谎结果可能会影响评估人员对治疗进展的具体看法。(PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA，保留所有权利）。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Law and Human Behavior Multiple-

CiteScore

4.50

自引率

8.00%

发文量

期刊介绍： Law and Human Behavior, the official journal of the American Psychology-Law Society/Division 41 of the American Psychological Association, is a multidisciplinary forum for the publication of articles and discussions of issues arising out of the relationships between human behavior and the law, our legal system, and the legal process. This journal publishes original research, reviews of past research, and theoretical studies from professionals in criminal justice, law, psychology, sociology, psychiatry, political science, education, communication, and other areas germane to the field.