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NemesisSenpai OP t1_j284r0m wrote

Reply to comment by [deleted] in eli5: If Lie Detector tests are highly accurate, why are they not used in court? by NemesisSenpai

If you have done nothing wrong, you wouldn't have anything to be nervous about.

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ScimitarPufferfish t1_j284wy7 wrote

You don't think the average person might be a tad nervous about appearing in court? Whoops, looks like your heartbeat is a bit elevated! Guilty you are, off to jail with you.

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Theyos t1_j284zjb wrote

Because, as we all know people have no reason at all to be anxious when held by the police, even when innocent.

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NameUnavail t1_j2851i3 wrote

Yes because the justice system has famously never done something like coerce a confession, or falsely sentence someone.

No need at all for an innocent person to be nervous in a police interview.

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sim_kay t1_j28512y wrote

Yeah, that's highly unlikely.. Who wouldn't be nervous when interrogated by the police, even if you did nothing wrong? And than on the other hand there are sociopaths and psychopaths who are absolutely calm even if they murdered anyone. What would you do with them? Don't convict them because of the test?

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DrMcDingus t1_j2852j5 wrote

Would you not be nervous about failing? Have you never done anything wrong? All people have, maybe not the same wrong the police is asking about.

Lie detectors are pseudoscience and have no place in a justice system.

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Musicman1972 t1_j287bsc wrote

You would if you're sitting in a police station with detectives saying they think you did it and you will go down for 20 years.

That scenario wouldn't make you nervous?

Do you know who it wouldn't make nervous? A sociopath with zero feelings.

I don't like the machine that thinks stress == guilt.

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FailureToReason t1_j2876s4 wrote

Except that it doesnt work like that. What if you're nervous not about the questions relating to a crime, but simply the fact that you're jammed in a small, bright room with cops who accusing you of a crime? Or what if you're nervous that they might get a bad reading and think you're lying when you're telling the truth? What if you clench your anus at the wrong moment? I guarantee you an innocent person is going to be plenty nervous and stressed going into a polygraph, and that's exactly what the polygraph is trying to measure.

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Hitchie_Rawtin t1_j28lvte wrote

It's extremely common for people to feel nervous when going through airport security despite doing absolutely nothing wrong, you think people wouldn't feel nervous while being interrogated for a serious crime by a cop whose questions are presuming your guilt?

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