Physiological Arousal and Communication:An Analysis of Physiological Arousal in Response to Electronic and Verbal Communication and in Response to “Guilty Knowledge”

Abstract

As communication evolves, the criminal justice system will face new challenges in terms of lie detection. To date, it is unknown how physiological responses vary between face-to-face and electronic communication in evolving polygraph technology. In this study, 15 female college students between the ages of 20-24 participated. Each participant was asked a battery of control and anxiety-provoking survey questions through both electronic and verbal surveys. Participant skin conductance and heart rate (HR) were measured during both surveys. Paralleling the advancements in communication, polygraph technology is also evolving. The current study also sought to replicate and extend previous findings isolating the P3 response using the Guilty Knowledge Test. When comparing the mean electronic Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) of participants who completed the electronic survey first to the mean electronic GSR of participants who completed the verbal survey first, no statistical significance was observed. However, there was significant statistical evidence to suggest the range of HR values were different between the electronic and verbal modes of communication. Additionally, there was a significant difference between EEG P3 response for participants who did or did not have “guilty knowledge”. These results highlight the importance of advancements in communication when considering the future of polygraph testing.