Question

Elaine has been falsely accused of embezzling $250,000 from her company. Her boss wants her to take a lie detector test, but she has read the research literature and is afraid to do so. If Elaine is innocent, why would she hesitate to take the test?
a. Lie detectors inflict rather painful shocks that may have adverse consequences on people with heart conditions.
b. Lie detector tests necessarily require people to tell intimate details about private issues unrelated to the question at hand.
c. It is easy for a skilled operator of a lie detector test to implant a false memory of actually having committed the embezzlement.
d. There is a 14 percent probability that the test will falsely conclude that she is lying.

Answer 1

Answer:

b. Lie detector tests necessarily require people to tell intimate details about private issues unrelated to the question at hand.  

Explanation:

Elaine may hesitate to take the test because lie detector tests necessarily require people to tell intimate details about private issues unrelated to the question at hand.

When taking the lie detector test, there are control questions which are designed to control for the effect of the generally threatening nature of relevant questions. These control questions may sometimes be private issues or topics that may dent the test takers image even though they pass the test for the particular crime they are suspected of. This a reason why even innocent individuals are hesitant to take the test. For example Elaine may be asked if she has stolen from a previous employee before, even though this does not affect the question at hand, a positive response to that question will dent Elaine image in the organization even though she passes the test on embezzlement.