INTERNATIONAL
SOCIETY OF STRESS ANALYSTS
9 WESTCHESTER DRIVE
KISSIMMEE FL
34744
407-933-4839 FAX 935-0911
The
Universality of Voice Stress Analysis (VSA)
The
question, "Is Voice Stress Analysis a viable, valid truth and deception
system
"The available research would suggest that
language makes no difference, nor should cultural background, to a great
extent, as everyone fears the loss of his/her freedom (Flight or Fright?)"
"Logically, the differences in tone, frequency, rate of speech or
the language spoken should have little effect,
and I doubt any effect, on
the recording of stress in the human voice.
If an examination is properly administered the language spoken is a
superfluous issue. I believe
problems will exist more often in test administration,
that is creating the proper environment
so that a truthful individual can
demonstrate his/her status.
I would proffer that it is a little
difficult to have no stress in ones voice after being interrogated at
length by some strong arm cop who insists that he knows the subject is
guilty regardless his/her denials
to the contrary. "
The latter
sentence in the above quote capsulizes neatly one of the major differences
between polygraph and voice stress analysis
techniques - the interaction between administrator and subject.
Turning to
real life application of VSA in other cultures,
I cite the experience of a
recent graduate of an ISSA approved
course who applies
the total VSA package, e,g,
viable instrument, certified training and application of standardized tests to
his truth and deception chores. The
examiner, who is also a trained and experienced Polygrapher is employed by a
firm conducting commercial
operations in Columbia, Peru and Bolivia. He acts in a general security role,
with additional duties as a truth and deception examiner. The individual is a native Spanish-language
speaker, US Army Special
Forces, veteran of operational and training tours
in that area and a qualified VSA examiner.
He examined 62 indigenous security
personnel, in their native language
using standard ISSA formats and techniques and the DIOGENES LANTERN™
Using this
Lap Top Voice Stress Analysis instrument,
at three locations, accessible only by air, an examination was conducted
with those cultural and language choices as dictated by the examinee's own
personality and background. Taken
into account was that all Spanish speakers do not represent monolithic
subjects. The examiner's
background, training, experience and language skills accommodated these
differences. There was important
intelligence acquired from these examinations.
We then can conclude, that the differences in tone,
frequency, rate of speech or the
language spoken would have little effect , in fact, any effect on the recording
of stress on the voice. thus, an
examination conducted in the language of the subject, by
a competent examiner in the same language,
with deference to cultural influences, will
be as conclusive as in any other language.
An examination of a Chinese
language subject, by a skilled, Chinese linguist, a
VSA Examiner, will produce
satisfactory results when applied
by the total system. The tool which has most readily propelled
voice stress analysis to the forefront as the investigative tool of
choice is the advent of a common, international computer operating system,
available in many languages and, the
through the use of icons and other graphic symbols.
Recently, a Korean
psychiatrist was trained in ISSA approved voice stress analysis examination
procedures and doctrine, on the lap-top computer he brought with him to this
country. The computer had all the
operating system commands, in Korean and English!
There was not a hitch in the training, with positive results for the
Korean and the Russian Psychiatrist who also
attended that same session.
COUNTRIES HAVING VOICE STRESS EQUIPMENT
BURMA | CANADA | DOMINICAN REPUBLIC |
EGYPT | GEORGIA | INDIA |
IRAQ | ISREAL | *KOREA |
SWAZILAND | NAMIBIA | PERU |
PHILIPPINES | ROMANIA | RUSSIA |
SOUTH AFRICA |
TAIWAN | UKRAINE |
VENEZUELA | *COLUMBIA | SAUDI ARABIA |
·
Added
to DoDPI list by ISSA sources.