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  System and method for identification of false statementsUSPTO Application #: 20070249914Title: System and method for identification of false statements Abstract: A method of detecting lie detection including the steps of first conditioning the subject to produce an involuntary physiological response triggered when the subject provides false statements; and secondly asking the subject to state whether each of series of statements presented to the subject are true. As the subject answers, the subject is monitored for the conditioned involuntary response. Detecting whether the subject is providing false statements is based on whether the involuntary response is observed during these answers. A system (19) for lie detection includes a computing device (21), a controlled (40), and at least one conditioning interface (42, 44). (end of abstract) Agent: Barnes & Thornburg LLP - Chicago, IL, US Inventors: John T. Cacioppo, Tyler S. Lorig USPTO Applicaton #: 20070249914 - Class: 600300000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Surgery, Diagnostic Testing The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070249914. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND [0001] The present invention relates to a system and method of detecting when a subject is lying by conditioning the subject to produce a unique physiological response which is not a naturally occurring physiological phenomenon, in contrast to the prior methods which rely on monitoring natural responses. Specifically, using classical Pavlovian conditioning techniques and semantic generalization, a unique autonomic response is created in test subjects when they are exposed to a true versus a false statement (conditioned stimuli). This assures that an independent assessment can be made of whether a given examinee shows the conditioned response to known questions and allows quantitative comparisons of conditioned responses to the critical questions to be compared to the distribution of conditioned responses shown to known true and known false statements. [0002] Current lie detection methods, based on the polygraph technique, rely upon detecting changes in the physiological characteristics of the subject. Among the characteristics measured are respiration rate, skin resistivity, blood pressure, and heart rate. One such method is the relevant/irrelevant test (RIT). As the name implies, the subject is asked a series of relevant and irrelevant questions. Measurements of the subject's physiological characteristics are made while the subject is answering these questions. If the physiological response to the relevant questions is greater than to the irrelevant questions, the subject is deemed to be deceptive. Responses of equivalent size to the two types of questions indicate truthfulness. [0003] Another approach is the control question test (CQT). The CQT involves a comparison of responses to relevant questions, to certain control questions which are designed to elicit emotional reactions(e.g "Have you ever taken something from someone who trusted you?"). Assuming that everyone has done the sorts of things asked in the control questions, innocent people should react more strongly to control questions than relevant questions. Conversely, dishonest people should react more strongly to relevant questions than control questions. [0004] Yet another method is the Guilty Knowledge Test (GKT). In the GKT the subject is asked a series of multiple choice questions, all dealing with facts with which only those knowledgeable about the crime would be familiar. The GKT assumes that the guilty individual's recognition of the correct multiple choice alternative that contains actual details of the crime will lead to stronger physiological responses than to incorrect alternatives. [0005] The technology used to monitor and record physiological measurements used by the polygrapher is typically a portable field polygraph. Recorded activity includes electrodermal responsitivity (for example skin resistance or conductance), monitored from stainless steel electrodes attached to the fingertips; respiration, recorded from pneumatic belts positioned around the upper chest and abdomen; and a "cardio" channel in which relative changes in blood pressure are determined by observing pressure oscillations obtained from a standard, partially inflated sphygmomanometer cuff placed on the subjects arm. Some methods may also record brain activity using electro-encephalography to measure P3 brain waves. Records are made either mechanically or are digitized and stored in a computer. [0006] Even with control questions, the problem with all three of the methods described in previous paragraphs is that they rely on monitoring natural physiological responses which may fluctuate for reasons other than deceptive conduct or response to questions by the subject. Other potential problems and limitations are outlined in the National Research Council (2002) report on the scientific validity of the polygraph. Predictably, these methods produce false negatives (i.e. a deception is missed) and false alarms (subject is not lying, but inquisitor believes subject is). The problem of false positives and false negatives would be lessened if a novel autonomic pattern were semantically conditioned to true statements and the opposite novel autonomic pattern were semantically conditioned to false statements. These autonomic patterns would be involuntary, innocuous, and visibly undetectable, yet more accurate (i.e. lower false alarm rate) and sensitive (i.e. low false negative rate) than the traditional approaches described above. [0007] Another problem with these traditional approaches is that they may be vulnerable to the deployment of countermeasures by the subject (National Research Council, 2002). Subjects who are aware that showing a stronger physiological response to control questions than to relevant questions is indicative of truthfulness can manipulate their physiology using cognitive, emotional, or motoric acts to influence their physiological responses to questions. One known countermeasure is increasing breathing by methods such as holding one's breath for 5-20 seconds after answering a control question. Another known countermeasure is to increase one's heart rate using methods such as constricting one's anal sphincter muscle, biting down on the tongue, or thinking exciting thoughts. Because of the effectiveness of such countermeasures, there is a need for a detectable response to lying that are more difficult to manipulate by the subject during testing. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0008] The present invention relates to a system and method of detecting when a subject is lying by conditioning the subject to produce a unique physiological response which is not a naturally occurring physiological phenomenon, in contrast to the prior methods which rely on monitoring natural responses. Specifically, using classical Pavlovian conditioning techniques and semantic generalization, a unique autonomic response is created in test subjects when they are exposed to a true versus a false statement (conditioned stimuli). This assures that an independent assessment can be made of whether a given examinee shows the conditioned response to known questions and allow quantitative comparison of conditioned responses to the critical questions to be compared to the distribution of conditioned responses shown to known true and known false statements. [0009] One embodiment of the conditioned physiological response is vasomotor activity--an innocuous and reflexive response to mild heating and cooling of the skin. Because of the way conditioning is accomplished (one site is conditioned to show vasoconstriction and another is conditioned to show vasodilation to a true statement, vice versa when presented with false statements), the reflexive response pattern is not observable naturally. That is, there is a near zero baserate for this pattern of response. [0010] Disclosed is a system and the system's method of use which may be described as generally involving three stages. First, semantic conditioning is used to produce a bidirectional vasomotor/physiological response that otherwise would not occur (zero baserate). Second, a conditioning and testing procedure is implemented based on semantic generalization. Third, data from this second stage is used to assess the truth or falsehood of intermittent test statements based on an observed pattern of conditioned responses. The entire conditioning, testing, and assessment procedure may be fully automated, thereby standardizing testing and avoiding confounding influences of examiner expectations or examiner/examinee interactions or rapport. [0011] The differential conditioning used to form novel and distinctive patterns of physiological response makes it difficult for countermeasures to be used by the subject that are not detected during the presentation of known control questions in the second phase of the study. Moreover, the conditioned response is not visible to the naked eye. This is advantageous over a visible response such as training the subject to blink, which would result in the subject blinking to falsehoods after leaving the examination environment. In contrast, vasoconstriction or vasodilation is not obvious. [0012] An aspect of this invention is a system for detecting false statements made by a subject which includes a programmed computing device, an output device configured to receive data from the programmed computing device. Also included is a controller configured to be operated by the programmed computing device which controls at least one conditioning interface. Each conditioning interface includes a physiological measuring device and an attachment structure for attaching the conditioning device to a selected body part of a test subject. [0013] Also disclosed is a method of using the above system. This method of use includes first attaching the conditioning interfaces to the subject. Next, the subject is conditioned to produce an involuntary physiological response when the subject states a false statement. Further, the method includes subjecting the subject to a testing stage which involves presenting the subject with a series of questions and recording the subject's answers to the series of questions while contemporaneously recording data related to the involuntary physiological response. After the data is collected, it is analyzed to determine whether the subject is providing false statements. [0014] The step of conditioning the subject to produce an involuntary physiological response described above involves: (a) exposing the subject to a statement that is true statement to the subject; (b) stimulating a first body part of the subject with a first stimulus and contemporaneously stimulating a second body part of the subject with a second stimulus to obtain a first conditioned physiological response which is designated the true response; and (c) repeating a cycle of steps a-b. [0015] For the method described above, exposing the subject to a statement may be displaying the statement on a screen. In the alternative, exposing the subject to a statement may be by producing the statement audibly for the subject to hear. [0016] Also for the method described above, the physiological response is a vasoconstriction of blood vessels in the first body part, and vasodilation of the blood vessels in the second body part. In the alternative, the physiological response may be a blinking of an eye. Further, for the method described above, the first stimulus and second stimulus may be only applied during a subset of the cycle. [0017] Finally, the invention includes a method of detecting lie detection. First, the subject is conditioned to produce an involuntary physiological response triggered when the subject provides false statements. Next, the subject is asked to state whether each of a series of statements presented to the subject are true. As the subject answers, the subject is monitored for the conditioned involuntary response. Detecting whether the subject is providing false statements is based on whether the involuntary response is observed during these answers. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0018] FIG. 1 is a simplified diagrammatic view of a system for the detection of false statements; [0019] FIG. 2 is a circuit schematic of a first portion of a circuit that controls the application of stimuli to a subject being tested; [0020] FIG. 3 is a circuit schematic of a second portion of a circuit that controls the application of stimuli to a subject being tested; [0021] FIG. 4 is a prospective view of one embodiment of a conditioning interface with a clip attachment structure; Continue reading... Full patent description for System and method for identification of false statements Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this System and method for identification of false statements patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. 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