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Abstract
The subject of the research is the examination of the efficiency of polygraph testing using the Control Question Test (CQT) in both real-life and experimental settings. The study included 101 participants tested in connection with property-related criminal offenses in real situations within police practice, as well as an experiment conducted with the students from the University of Criminal Investigation and Police Studies.
The chi-square test was applied to determine the relationship between the findings of the polygraph examiner and the actual involvement of the participants in the commission of a criminal offense. The assumption underlying successful polygraph testing is that individuals who conceal the truth will exhibit distinctive reactions as a result of stress caused by fear of being exposed and punished. The results indicate that deceptive participants showed characteristically stronger physiological responses to relevant questions, while truthful participants reacted more strongly to control questions, thereby confirming the validity and effectiveness of the CQT method. Although the polygraph does not have evidentiary value in court, it represents a relevant tool for guiding police investigations.