I'm not interested in "learning how to beat the test". I'm interested in understanding the experience of an interrogation, from both the perspective of the interrogator and the person being questioned. And I'm wondering if a form of role play would be a feasible way of exploring that experience, without going to the trouble or risk of committing a crime or becoming a police detective.
There are clearly lots of aspects of interrogation that are difficult in uninteresting ways, like sitting still for many hours. But the reason TV/movie interrogations are so intriguing to watch (and, I imagine, to act) is that they represent an unusual and intense interaction between people. People who are trying to manipulate each other in real time in pursuit of some valuable information, and willing to break a lot of normal social boundaries in that pursuit.
That certainly sounds like it entails some interesting psychological challenges. If I think I'm secure, relatively free of anxiety, and willing to engage in those challenges, maybe it would be a revealing and worthwhile endeavor?
I received a government polygraph test over a year ago.
A mock interrogation would not be very effective. The most important
aspect of a polygraph is leverage. There has to be an incentive for the
person being questioned (e.g. they want an out for committing a crime)
so that they want to tell the examiner the truth. There should also be
a real fear of failing the test. Your brother questioning you about who
stole the cookie from the cookie jar wouldn't cut it.
As far as I can tell, the goal of the test is to make you spill your
guts. You might consider yourself confident or be a pathological liar,
but when you're afraid of lying, your body will react to it. It's a
very unique experience and I don't think practicing lying or rehearsing
your responses would be useful. They'll dwell on questions that they
think you're trying to deceive them on and ask you over and over. Each
time, you'll give them a little more ("well, one time, but I didn't
inhale!") to get them off your back. They'll do the good cop/bad cop
routine and occasionally storm out of the room. Eventually, hours later,
you'll crack and think, "fuck it, I've already told them this much, might
as well give them the rest." At that point, you're probably crying or
look pretty distraught so they know they've got
everything.
You could always apply for a job that requires security clearance. In my case, I once applied for a job at the CSE (Communications Security Establishment -- Canada's equivalent of the NSA), which required top secret clearance. I would have had to submit to a polygraph had I not backed out to accept another job.
Having a psychology background, I was curious about the test and somewhat disappointed that I didn't have to take it.
There are clearly lots of aspects of interrogation that are difficult in uninteresting ways, like sitting still for many hours. But the reason TV/movie interrogations are so intriguing to watch (and, I imagine, to act) is that they represent an unusual and intense interaction between people. People who are trying to manipulate each other in real time in pursuit of some valuable information, and willing to break a lot of normal social boundaries in that pursuit.
That certainly sounds like it entails some interesting psychological challenges. If I think I'm secure, relatively free of anxiety, and willing to engage in those challenges, maybe it would be a revealing and worthwhile endeavor?