David A. Camp, PhD

31250 Terry Park Rd.

Palmyra, IL 62674

drdavidcamp@gmail.com

217-439-7436

Education

PhD  Deviant Behavior

Research Methodology, Corrections, Criminal and Deviant Behavior.

Oklahoma State University – 1995. Stillwater, Oklahoma.

Master Of Science in Sociology

Demography and Social Ecology.

Oklahoma State University – 1991. Stillwater, Oklahoma

Bachelor Of Arts In Sociology

Ethnographic Research and American Indian Studies.

Northeastern State University – 1979, Tahlequah, Oklahoma

Academic Experience

American Sentinal University (Online Affiliate Vanderbilt University).

Dean of Criminal Justice – Criminal Justice Program Design

Blackburn College – Professor/Chair – Department of Criminal Justice

Courses Taught:

Corrections - Theory, history, application and effectiveness of correctional programs in America.             Lecture, group projects, field trips.

Criminal Justice – A introductory survey of the field of criminal justice.

Criminology - Theory, history, and the attributes of the scientific study of crime, criminals, and the           societal response to crime. Lecture, formal group debates, and class participation format.

Deviance - Theory, history, and the attributes of the scientific study of deviance focusing on both              criminal and noncriminal deviance and the various societal responses. Lecture, specialized guest                 speakers, and presentations of research.

Deception Management - Theory, history, and the attributes of the scientific study of deception and deception detection. Content includes an interdisciplinary overview of the theoretical and applied aspects of deception and deception detection. Training and practice in interviewing, interrogation, discourse analysis, kinesics, and Expression Analysis.

Family Violence – a criminal justice perspective on the growing worldwide epidemic of violence

committed upon family members.

Introductory Sociology -  Presentation of basic concepts leading to interactive class discussions in      relation to life and the application of sociological perspectives.

Juvenile Delinquency - Theoretical and research aspects of youth and criminal activities. Lecture,        class interaction, and specialized guest speakers.

Marriage and the Family – Sociology of family relationships and dynamics associated with the institution of marriage and its various attributes.

Culver-Stockton College Tenured Associate Professor and Department Chair

(Dept of Criminal Justice and Department of Sociology)

Courses Taught:

Anthropology – History, Theory, and approaches to the investigations of origins of man and the

existing cultural perspectives of cultural anthropology, ethnography, and archaeology.

Corrections - Theory, history, application and effectiveness of correctional programs in America.             Lecture, group projects, field trips.

Community Based Corrections – Theory, history, application and effectiveness of correctional          programs in America. Lecture, group projects, field trips.

Criminology - Theory, history, and the attributes of the scientific study of crime, criminals, and the           societal response to crime. Lecture, formal group debates, and class participation format.

Deviance - Theory, history, and the attributes of the scientific study of deviance focusing on both              criminal and noncriminal deviance and the various societal responses. Lecture, specialized guest                 speakers, and presentations of research.

Deception and Deception Detection - Theory, history, and the attributes of the scientific study of deception and deception detection. Content includes an interdisciplinary overview of the theoretical and applied aspects of deception and deception detection. Training and practice sessions in interviewing, interrogation, discourse analysis, kinesics, and others are surveyed in the course.

Introductory Sociology -  Presentation of basic concepts leading to interactive class discussions in      relation to life and the application of sociological perspectives.

Juvenile Delinquency - Theoretical and research aspects of youth and criminal activities. Lecture,        class interaction, and specialized guest speakers.

Marriage and the Family – Sociology of family relationships and dynamics associated with the institution of marriage and its various attributes.

Social Research Methods – Applied theory and techniques in carrying out research using accepted scientific methods. Students are required to design and carry out a socially based research project utilizing two methods of inquiry one of which is a questionnaire the other is open based on the needs of the project. Major components include survey design, proposal design, data collection and analysis and a written and oral report in acceptable formats.

Northeastern State University – Assistant Professor – Department of Sociology

Courses Taught:

Corrections - Theory, history, application and effectiveness of correctional programs in America.             Lecture, group projects, field trips.

Criminology - Theory, history, and the attributes of the scientific study of crime, criminals, and the           societal response to crime. Lecture, formal group debates, and class participation format.

Deviant Behavior - Theory, history, and the attributes of the scientific study of deviance focusing on

both criminal and noncriminal deviance and the various societal responses. Lecture, specialized

guest speakers, and presentations of research.

Females in Criminal Justice – Graduate level special issues course focusing on female criminals           female criminal justice professionals. Emphasis on literature review, critical thinking and            writing.  Lecture, class discussion, presentations and on site correctional visits.

Introductory Sociology -  Presentation of basic concepts leading to interactive class discussions in      relation to life and the application of sociological perspectives.

Juvenile Delinquency - Theoretical and research aspects of youth and criminal activities. Lecture,        class interaction, and specialized guest speakers.

Social Statistics – Fundamental statistical concepts for social work and sociology students. Lecture          and application format.

Oklahoma State University

Courses Taught:

Introductory Sociology – General education approach to introduce the fundamental of sociological   studies and findings. Emphasis on critical thinking and writing.  Lecture, class discussion, guest                speakers, research projects and formal presentations.

Social Ecology - Classical spatial human ecology and the impact of humans on the environment.               Lecture and class interaction format.

Social Problems - introduction to the scope and depth of  social problems and the associated basic        concepts of deviance. Lecture and class interaction format.

Focus Group Moderator – Influence of the Media and environmental advertising. Oklahoma State       University, Stillwater Oklahoma.

Guest Lecturer – Graduate Sociological Theory II. Chaos theory in Advanced Sociology. Oklahoma             State University, Stillwater Oklahoma.

Guest Lecturer – Campus Forum – Applications of Chaos Theory to social sciences. Oklahoma State           University, Stillwater Oklahoma.

Other Teaching

Guest Lecturer – Elephant Behaviorism and Zoo Ecology. Psychology and Education classes. South            Dade Community College.  Miami, Florida.

Seminar Presentations (Multiple Events)- Deception Management Training Seminar.

Substitute Instructor – Cherokee language. Westville Public Schools,  Westville, Oklahoma.

Funded Research

Escapee Profile Analysis. Evaluated available data to establish a beginning identification of high risk

inmates. Oklahoma Department of   Corrections. 1996.

Female Offender Regimented Treatment program evaluation. Evaluated the success of        the female boot camp program in comparison to control group. Oklahoma Department of         Corrections. Funded by Oklahoma Criminal Justice Research Consortium and the Oklahoma       Department of Corrections. 1994.

Pre-Parole Program Evaluation. Research to establish effectiveness of program. Research                funded

by Oklahoma Criminal Justice Research Consortium and the Oklahoma Department of        Corrections. 1994.

Vocational/Technical Education Program Graduate Profiles. Research to establish profiles

of inmates that were program failures. Research funded by Oklahoma Criminal Justice       Research Consortium and the Oklahoma Department of Corrections. 1994.

Oklahoma Incarceration Rates by Race. Crime and Racial Characteristics of Inmates within the       Oklahoma Department of Correction’s Penal System. Funded by Oklahoma Criminal Justice

Research Consortium and Oklahoma Department of    Corrections. 1993.

Publications

Camp, David A.  and Deverie Rudd (2005)

“Teen Girls Survival Guide to Lies Liars and Lying. Goldberry Press.

Camp, David A. (2001)

Exposing Lies. Understanding and Managing Deception. Textbook for Deception Management. Authorhouse Press.   

Camp, David A.  (1997)

Chaos and Crime. Explaining Criminality. Ex Scientia. Vol. 7, 2001.  21-29.

Camp, David A.  and  Chan M. Hellman (1997)

Chaos and the Withering Family.  Journal of Humanity and Society 21, 190-198.

Camp, David A.  and Harjit Sandhu  (1996)

Female Offender Regimented Treatment (FORT) Evaluation. Journal of the           Oklahoma Criminal Justice Research Consortium Vol. 2. Oklahoma Department

of Corrections Oklahoma City, OK.

Camp, David A.  and Harjit Sandhu  (1995)

Incarceration and Correctional Alternatives. Edna McConnell Clark Conference

“Seeking Justice: Rethinking Punishment”. Campaign for Effective Crime

Policy. Oklahoma Criminal Justice System Task Force.

Camp, David A. (1994)

Oklahoma Incarceration Rates by Race. Journal of the Oklahoma Criminal            Justice             Research Consortium Vol. (1). Oklahoma City, OK.

Camp David A. and Jack E. Bynum (1994)

Socialization of Energy Beliefs and Attitudes. Free Inquiry  Journal of Sociology.    Stillwater, Oklahoma. May 1994.

Camp, David A. (1992)

Chapter Introductions for Social Ecology and Socialization. Sociology Readings      and Activities Manual (2^nd & 3^rd eds.). Copley’s Publishing Group. Acton MA.

Camp, David A. (1992)

Problems of Global Overpopulation. Sociology Readings and Activities Manual      (3rd ed.).  Copley’s Publishing Group. Acton MA.

Camp, David A. (1987)

Youth Education in Social Skills: Operations Manual. Operations Manual, Social

and Life Skills Training for Youth. CHildrens’ Village, Tyler, TX.

Sample Presentations

Anti-Deception Interviewing Missouri Assisted Living Association (2010)

Recognition of Anger – Early Warning Signs. Barnes Jewish Hospital (2009)

Deception Management – Barnes Jewish Hospital (2010)

Deception Management – Macoupin County Il. Educators (2008)

Deception Management – Washington State Department of Mental Health  (2006)

Chaos Theory and the Withering Family: Explanations of American Criminality.

American Society of Criminologists – Annual Meeting. Chicago, IL. 1996

Female Criminality Reconsidered: Relational motivations for criminal choices.

American Society of Criminologists – Annual Meeting. Chicago, IL. 1996

Chaos as a Theoretical Matrix for Social Structural Development. University  Wide              Presentation Seminar Oklahoma State University. Stillwater,  Oklahoma. 1995.

FORT Evaluation/ Offender Characteristics. Criminal Justice Research Consortium special

report – Oklahoma Department of Corrections. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 1994

Oklahoma Female Boot Camp Evaluation. American Society of Criminologists – Annual Meeting. Miami Florida.  1994

Vocational Educational Recidivist Profiles. Criminal Justice Research Consortium. Oklahoma        City, Oklahoma. 1993

Pre Parole Program Evaluation in Oklahoma. Criminal Justice Research Consortium.     Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 1993

Oklahoma Incarceration Rates by Race. Criminal Justice Research Consortium. Oklahoma               City, Oklahoma. 1993

Chaos Theory and Sociology. Oklahoma Sociological Association. Oklahoma State University.              Stillwater, Oklahoma. 1992.

Chaos Theory and Complex Organizational Shifts of Authority. Oklahoma Academy of         Sciences. South Eastern Oklahoma State University, Durant Oklahoma.  1991

Chaos Theory and Sociology: Chatuaqua Short Course for Instructors – Time, Rhythms and

Chaos in the New Dialogue With Nature. University     of Texas at Austin.  1993

Socialization of Energy Beliefs and Attitudes. University Presentation Seminar Oklahoma            State University. Stillwater,  Oklahoma. 1992.

Use of Water in Traditional Cherokee Medicine. Conclusions drawn at the close of an 18           month full immersion study with Cherokee Shaman. Oklahoma Academy of Sciences.           Stillwater,  Oklahoma. 1979

Samples of Other Research – Publications and/or Presentations

Applications of Recent Findings: Adolescent Neurological Development

Early Warning Indicators of Anger and Potential Violence

Chaos, Complexity and Sociology

Chaos Theory and Complex Organizational Shifts of Authority

Chaos Theory, Socialization, and Deviance

Diversion as a Community Corrections Procedure

The Progressive Dissolution of the Family

Genius as a Deviant

Payne County Misdemeanant Recidivism

Problems of Global Overpopulation

Interviewing Techniques of Emergency Psychological Evaluations

Socialization and Re-socialization of Energy Beliefs and Values (Master’s Thesis)

Cherokee Shamanistic Practices

Urban Crime Deterrence

Natural Medicine Use in Alternative Lifestyle Community

Honors

Who’s Who Among American Teachers (1997, 1999, 2002)

Larry Perkins Teaching Award – Award for outstanding graduate student teaching. Oklahoma            State University Department of  Sociology. 1994.

Phoenix Award – Outstanding Ph.D. of the university (runner up).  Oklahoma State University. 1993.

Outstanding Scholar -  Oklahoma State University Dept of  Sociology. 1991/92 and 1992/93.

Service

Board of Directors – Defensive Tactics Technologies – An organization

dedicated to providing Steven Seagal’s style of Aikido training through Senior student and Master

Instructor Mr. Elliot Freeman.

Communications Committee,  Metrozoo, Miami, Florida. Identified specialized equipment for            zookeepers to use when they are severely injured in isolated areas. 1982

Graduate Student Representative – Communications Committee Oklahoma State

University Graduate Student Council reporting     committee. 1990

Youth Education in Social Skills (YESS): Creation and Implementation –

Organizational and behavioral components for institutional child care management and social skills

training for children. Childrens’ Village, Tyler, Texas  1985.

Weighted Stress Capacity Gauging System - Stress gauge for determining resident population

capacity. Acknowledged as “an  impressive system” and an “Exciting Concept”  by Texas            Department of Human Resources State Supervisor. Children’s Village, Tyler, Texas. 1985

Educational Videotape Production.  Developed educational programs for the National Science      Council, Cherokee Nation and Northeastern Oklahoma State University Professors. Northeastern          State University, Tahlequah, Oklahoma. 1976-1979

Executive Committee Member – Oklahoma Criminal Justice Research Consortium. 1995-1997.

External Thesis Advisor – Oklahoma Criminal Justice Research Consortium. 1995-1997.

Graduate Student Council Representative for the Department of Sociology . Oklahoma State       University, Stillwater, Oklahoma. 1990-1991

Non-traditional Student Task Force – Chair. Established scholarship and added               flexibility of admissions for non-traditional students. Designed Child Care Needs Survey for Non-              traditional Student Population. Oklahoma State University Graduate Student Council.1991

Proofing Assistant: Juvenile Delinquency 2nd ed. (J. Bynum & W.Thompson,1991).

Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma. 1991

Safety Committee,  Metrozoo, Miami, Florida. Identified risk areas and equipment necessary to              decrease Zookeeper risk factors.1981

Sociology Graduate Student Representative to Faculty and Departmental Meetings. Oklahoma   State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma.1991-1993

Vice Chair Division of Social Sciences – Oklahoma Academy of Sciences, 1991

Other Professional Employment and Activities

Researcher – Multi-state Peace Officer in Service Training Research – For Steven Seagal  (2009-2010)

Researcher/ Interviewer – Developmental Disabilities Research program, Department of Sociology,

Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma.  1989-1990.

Researcher – Multi-state Peace Officer in Service Training Research  and Applications. Three Rivers

Aikido, St. Louis Mo.  (2000-2010).

Counselor/Case Manager/ Emergency Evaluator – Client management, counselor, group

activity  supervisor, client diagnosis and expert witness in emergency mental health evaluations.

CREOKS Mental Health Agency, Okmulgee, Oklahoma 1988-1989

At Risk Child Care Ranch Manager - Supervision of abused children and assistants as cottage

parent. Continuous care of institutionalized youth and 109 acre ranch. Children’s Village, Tyler, Texas. 1985-1988

Zookeeper and Animal Trainer – Training, maintenance, and care of elephants and various large       exotic mammals. Caldwell Zoo, Tyler, Texas. 1984-1985.

Elephant Keeper and Trainer – Training, maintenance, and care of Asian and African elephants.         Development, production and presentation of internationally acclaimed elephant show.          Additional duties included capture, restraint, and all other aspects of total zoo management and          animal care. Dade County Metrozoo, Miami, Florida. 1981-1984.

Exotic Animal Keeper - Training, maintenance, and care of exotic zoo specimens and elephant

training. Production and presentation. Additional duties included assistant trainer for the elephant training demonstration, capture, restraint, and other aspects of total zoo management and animal care. Jacksonville Zoo, Jacksonville, Florida.  1979 – 1981.

Lie detecting has become a hot topic due to the recent popularity of the TV show “Lie to Me”. The show is based on Dr. Paul Ekman and his fantastic lifelong body of works.

I created and teach a course (and a seminar) on Lie detecting and the the management of deception called “Deception Management”. The title (Deception Management) is used as an overall description of the training I provide.

Why Deception Management instead of Lie Detecting?  Deception is the act of purposefully leading others to reach false conclusions. Lying is more commonly thought of as stating something contrary to the truth. For instance when you are asked “How are you?” and though you feel like something the cat regurgitated, you still respond with “Fine”. That is a lie.

One the other hand if after work, you stop at Wal-Mart, then go to a local bar for a couple of drinks before going home and once home the wife asks – “Why did you get home so late?” and you reply, “Oh, I went to Wal-Mart. You know how things are there. Sometimes it takes forever to check out.” You left out the part about the bar. You did not say that you did NOT go to a bar, you just omitted that fact. The things you did say were all true. As a result of this edited truth, the wife concludes that your late arrival was due to the slow checkout at Wal-Mart. Something you never actually stated but simply implied. Although you were deceptive, you did not contradict fact – that is, you did not lie.

THe term Management is used in the title because management of deception can be more useful than just recognizing a lie. When we tell someone something, we have a personal involvement in what we say.  When we lie, we are withholding information for personal reasons – this means we prefer that information remain private for us alone. If we have that information revealed, we feel that our privacy has been violated.

This is important because when we lie and are caught we are unlikely to recant and admit our deception. If  we are put on the spot and must admit we lied, we often become angry and the relationship may be seriously damaged.

On the other hand, if you learn how to determine when a lie (deception) is potentially forthcoming you can perform actions that will discourage a deception and using specific tactics you can often get the person to reject the idea of deceiving resulting in their telling the truth. If you can get the truth without having to call someone a liar (it does not matter to the person whether you have outright called them liar, or whether you simply imply it through identifying and announcing their deceit) you can maintain a higher quality relationship and still have the honest truth.

About “Lie to Me”

This hit show, unlike many, has a deep basis in what really works on this topic. While I have spent 15 years on this topic, Dr. Ekman has spent decades. As the show’s advisor, he makes sure what they use is accurate information. The indicators they show are real (at least for the most part). However, how they use them is more Hollywood than reality.

In the real world, lies cannot be identified by a singular clue for most situations. Many indictors point toward deception, but they point to other potential causes as well. True lie detecting requires several activities not typically included in the show. These include clustering, comparative analysis, baseline setting and more. That said – again the indicators they show are generally correct. One feature many people may realize is that many of the close-ups of a person being “read”  there are numbers superimposed over the image. This is done in the opening to the show as well. These are the numbers that represent facial muscles that are being used at that moment. This is an extension of a system Dr. Ekman developed that has mapped every visible muscle of the face. It is called the Facial Action Coding System (FACS). Because we use certain muscles to show expressions and many such muscles are not under conscious control, reading facial muscles can be used to identify many potential deceptions.

Did You Know…

About Drugs?

1. Unlike most drugs the active ingredient in marijuana, THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is one of a handful of drugs that is able to pass the brain barrier and directly enter into the brain.
2. THC is stored in fat of the brain.
3. Some people consider it possible that THC can carry other substances into the brain with it if they are used at the same time. For example smoking marijuana followed by smoking a cigarette may cause nicotine from the cigarette to enter into the brain, a place it normally can’t go.
4. Alcohol causes people’s muscles to relax and their reflexes to slow down long before a person feels like the alcohol has affected their mind. This leads many people to believe they can drive safely after drinking because they “don’t feel drunk”. As a result, in emergency situations a person’s muscles react more slowly and less precisely when on alcohol even though they have no sensation of alcohol influencing them. This can lead to car accidents because of slowed reaction time.
5. Marijuana generally leaves people with very quick reaction times because marijuana does not affect the muscles at first; instead it directly affects the brain. As a result, a person driving can react very rapidly in an emergency situation because their muscles are just as ready whether they have used the drug are not. However, because the drug affects the mind first, accidents often happen due to marijuana use because the person was mentally distracted when the emergency occurred.  By the time they noticed the problem, even though their reactions were very quick, it was too late for them to react in a way that would have avoided the accident. Studies show a much larger proportion of people were admitted to emergency rooms for car accidents under the influence of marijuana than was expected.
6. Ecstasy causes your brain to “squeeze out” your reserves of a feel-good drug serotonin. Use of ecstasy causes the brain to become undersupplied with serotonin, which often leads to depression a day or two after using the drug.
7. LSD is the most powerful mind altering drug there is. 10 mg of morphine will get a person very high, but 10 mg of LSD would get at least a hundred people high.
8. Some drugs have a unique chemical structure that allows them to soak through the skin of a person touching them. Mushrooms, both hallucinogenic and poisonous, have this property. This means that going mushroom picking can be dangerous if you don’t wear gloves and simply pick the wrong kind of mushroom.
9. Not all date rape drugs are used for rape. Often these drugs are also used to rob people of their possessions.  Some are even used in surgical procedures.

10.  There are many different kinds of date rape drugs. What they have in common is that they make a person behave like they’re drunk and leave them with short-term amnesia so they cannot remember what happened to them.

11.  One of the great dangers of drug use among teenagers is from the drugs that directly enter the brain. Because the brain does not complete its major development until a person is in their mid-20s, a teenager using a drug such as marijuana is introducing a foreign substance into a brain that is in the process of building itself.

“Did You Know” is a series dedicated to providing little known facts about various topics.

Cops and Your Car

Dr. David A Camp

As a criminologist I am often asked, “What should I do if . . .?  Here are some tips concerning cops and cars.

What If a Cop Asks Permission to Search My Car?

The ‘officials’ say “let them search, if you have nothing to hide.” WRONG!

As an American we have a responsibility to exercise our rights. Just like our voting responsibilities we should exercise our right to not allow illegal searches. Both are rights protected under the Constitution.

As the driver, you are the captain of the vehicle and are responsible for everything in the car, even if you are not aware of what others (friends, previous owners, etc) may have put in your car. Anything illegal in the car (whether yours or not) is your problem.  Giving a cop access to your vehicle could allow an unscrupulous cop to plant evidence leading to an arrest. Though rare, it does happen.

So how do we handle this situation? If a cop asks, “Is it OK if I have a look around in your car (or trunk or whatever)?” simply state, “No.” If they try to goad you into giving in by asking, “Why not, are you hiding something?” Reply, “I believe it is my responsibility just like voting to exercise my rights.” If they continue to press, firmly (but politely) reassert that they do not have your permission. Don’t get upset or say something you will regret. Just be consistent.  Keep in mind that if you do allow it, and anything is found – it’s your neck.

Police Inventory of your Car

If you are arrested for ‘anything’, they will tow your car and inventory its contents. However, they must only inventory places things are normally kept (trunk, glove compartment, under seats, etc,). They can’t inventory places items are not normally stored (under the dash, inside a seat, etc.).

Drugs and Police Dogs

The nose of a drug dog is incredibly accurate. If you have anything they were trained to smell, they will. You cannot hide it or cover it up. Once a dog indicates they smell drugs, the officer has probable cause to search the car. If the dog does not ‘clearly’ indicate they have detected something, the search may be illegal. So pay close attention to the dog’s behaviors because you may otherwise be illegally searched.

Dealing with Cops

A cop’s job is to enforce the law. Like other people, they have good days and bad days. If you want to get on their bad side (a really bad idea) complain, yell, blame, lie, and generally give them a hard time. If you are respectful and friendly, they will often respond in kind. Be honest, polite, and considerate, even if they aren’t.  The surest method for not getting a ticket is to not break the law. Here are some additional tips that can improve your odds as well.

1. Cops use radar in places they are unlikely to be noticed such as behind parked cars, in parking lots, on the far side of curves, and over the tops of hills. Always assume they are in these places.
2. Radar works as far as a mile away.
3. Cops do not like people that use radar detectors. These are considered “automatic tickets” by the cops. If you have one and are pulled over you will probably get a ticket where you might otherwise have received a warning.

Driving in Unfamiliar Areas

Everyone believes the drivers in their area are the worst. The fact is that people are bad drivers everywhere; they just drive badly, differently. When in an unfamiliar area, follow the style of the drivers around you. Otherwise, you may be ticketed for interfering with traffic. When in Rome, do as the Roman’s do.

One of the rules of human behavior is that most people will be honest with you unless they have a reason to lie (most often out of fear).  If they have a reason to lie, how do you get them to be honest? First, don’t ask direct questions unless you have made it clear that you won’t be upset with them or their answer.  If you ask a direct question and the person is afraid, they will usually lie.  Asking a direct question like, “Tiffany, there’s a rumor going around that I want to make out with Josh.  You’re the only one that knows I like him!  Did you tell somebody?” not only accuses her, it will most likely cause her to lie (if she did it) by saying something like, “No way!  I didn’t tell anybody!”

She already knows you’re p.o.’d, so you’ve given her a reason to lie. You’ve put her on the spot causing her to be defensive and resentful.  Once a person has lied, it’s almost impossible to get them to tell the truth.  In short, direct questions cause lies.

A better way to handle this would be to make the other person feel comfortable giving an honest answer.   Let’s try this approach with Tiffany.

“Hey Tiffany!  I think Josh is going to ask me out!  I bet he heard that rumor going around that I want to make out with him cuz he’s never even looked at me before.  I’ve been wondering who started that rumor cuz they sure did me a big favor!  Should I be thanking you?”  By making Tiffany think you are ok with the rumor and are actually thankful for it, you’ve removed the fear, which now allows her to be honest.  Since we prefer to be honest when there is no threat she will probably fess up.

As you can see, getting someone to be honest is more about how you ask the question. Remember, putting someone on the spot is a sure way to lose friends and get lied to.

Three R’s of Human behavior

1^st RULE of HUMAN BEHAVIOR

(Reason)

There is always a reason for what we do!

Every action and every word we use is purposeful. Because the reasons are often emotionally or fear based we might simply say, “I don’t know why I did that.”  When analyzing a person’s behavior, always ask yourself, “What would lead them to do what they did?”

2^nd RULE of HUMAN BEHAVIOR

(Response)

We act in accordance to what ‘We Think’ others think.

We are often motivated by what we believe other people are thinking about us.  For example: While getting a drink between classes, the fountain squirts the front of your new jeans so that it appears you wet yourself. You know it’s water, but you worry others will think you peed your pants. Because of this you may avoid class, cover up the wet spot, or explain it to people. Your actions were caused by what you feared others might think, not by what they’re really thinking. In reality, they were probably so wrapped up in their own thoughts, they didn’t notice at all.

3rd RULE of HUMAN BEHAVIOR

(Results)

Situations defined as real are real in their consequences.

Everything you do has consequences and after-effects. In the water fountain incident your worry about what others will think caused you to change your behavior. You take time to dry the spot and get to class late and get detention.  Whatever your reaction, there are consequences of how you defined and interpreted that situation.

Parent-Child-Adult

When you interact with people, one of three styles is used.

1. If they act like a parent, you are expected to act like a child.
2. If they act like a child, you are expected to act like a parent.
3. If they act like an adult, you too will act like an adult.
4. If you act like an adult, they will also act like an adult.

What do I mean by “act like a parent, child or adult”? A parent questions, orders, punishes or rewards. A child is submissive and obedient or rebellious and disobedient causing the parent to react to the child with reward or punishment. However, an adult is reasonable, rational and accepts others as equals.

How can we use this ‘role’ information? When people treat others like children they expect them to act as children, subordinate and powerless. The ‘child’ must answer to them and seek their approval. If someone questions your motives or actions and expects an explanation, they are playing ‘parent’ since they are treating you like a child. Regardless of how they act you should behave like an adult, respond to them rationally.

For example, a friend asks, “Where were you yesterday, I called and called and no one answered?” You can either explain where you were, whom you were with and what you were doing (like a child), you can respond like a parent and answer with your own question like, “Why do you want to know?” reversing the parent/child interaction and maybe causing feelings of anger.  Or you can answer like an adult with something like, “I had things to do, why were you calling?” This usually leads to a rational conversation with the other person also taking the adult position leading to a positive interaction based on mutual respect.

Putting this all together

You are at the mall with a friend and you see your boyfriend being very friendly with some girl. When he notices you he says something to her and she walks away. You come up to him to see what he is doing and say hello. But before you can say a word he acts angry and says, “What are you doing here? You said you were going to stay at home. I called but your mom said you were here. Why did you lie to me? How can I trust you when you lie to me?” As you try to explain that your friend wanted your help picking out a gift for her sister’s wedding he interrupts and says that he is going home and if you want him to forgive you, you better be home to receive his call in a half hour and then he aggressively walks away and you feel bad losing all enjoyment from your outing.

What was really going on?

When your boyfriend saw you, he was afraid you would accuse him of flirting and cheating on you. Instead of acting like an adult, he feared he might have to answer to you as an authority figure (parent). Instead his fear led him to take on the parent role first (hoping to force you into the child role). So, he evades the situation by acting angry. Using the appearance of anger he assumes the role of the parent and through questioning you he tries to force you to respond like a child. Since his reaction causes a parent-child conflict you both go your separate ways feeling depressed and fearful and your relationship is damaged along with your self-esteem. 

How this could be have been handled:

1. Realize that his parent role of confronting you and appearing angry are actually based on fear, a valid conclusion.
2. You take on the adult role when he asks about why you are here, by responding with, “Angela’s sister is getting married, would you like to help us look for a wedding present?’  You have complied in an adult and non-confrontational manner soothing the situation. This response shows that his fears have no basis and all is OK. He will probably answer like an adult with something like “sure” or “Naw I’m going home”.

For more information (and much more) go to: http://www.teengirlssurvivalguide.com

Relationships and Sex

Teen pregnancies go up and down but generally their rates are always too high and the consequences are very costly for years to come. But this is not another lecture on not having sex. It is a fact that people are going to have sex. However, what anyone and especially younger people need to know are the causes of problems that arise from having sex (other than std’s, pregnancies, and upset parents). The problems come from the three “R’s” of why we have sex and how a misunderstanding among them can cause lifelong consequences.

First, why do people have sex? In short, there are three reasons: People have sex because they want babies (Reproduction). Second, they have sex to demonstrate their affections for one another (Relationship) and third they want to have sex because it’s fun, feels good and they generally just want to have a good time (Recreation).

So how do these cause such serious problems? The problems occur when the people involved agree to have sex, but the reason each agrees is different. Let’s consider the possibilities.

Let’s say you and your partner are going to have sex: He wants sex for the fun of it and the good feelings (recreation). On the other hand you agree because you want to show him how much you love him (relationship). If the truth comes out he will feel guilty and you will be disappointed. If on the other hand he wants to show his love and you want a baby there is a great deal of trouble brewing. You are planning an event that requires years of dedication and giving of yourself to raise a child and he wanted to have a close relationship for an evening. Oops, big problems here.

Beyond the mere differences of reason for choosing to go all the way, our culture teaches guys to seek out girls to have sex with for the fun of it and girls are taught to seek out the person that will be their long term significant other (read husband). This difference causes guys to choose to lie about their reasons for wanting sex. Since most guys know that very few girls want to be a notch on their bedpost, the guy tends to exaggerate his feelings if not outright lie about his feelings and intentions. In other words, guys often fear that their reasons (recreation, peer pressure, proving their manhood) will not sell the girls on the idea and they’ll refuse to have sex with them. So they lie and try to convince you to have sex by claiming reasons they think you will fall for (love, respect, family, etc.). If you know this, you have the advantage and can take to lead in the relationship and the interaction. How? For example, if they say, I want to show you how much I love you”. You can turn the tables by stating, “I want you to wait because that will show me how much you love me.”

If they are really interested in showing how much they love you, then they will be willing to wait until you’re ready (such as after marriage). If they want YOU to prove YOUR love by having sex with them, remember the fact of human behavior – they will always have something else they feel you must prove to them and the requirements of proof will continue as long as you are together and you will never be able to completely prove your love.  In true love, you prove yourself through the respect you show one another.

Know Why You Should Say No

We have been told over and over “Just say no to drugs”. The authorities tell us that this is because drugs are bad: End of story. However, there are many things that you should say “NO!” to. Although our parents try to protect us by teaching us to avoid making mistakes we often ignore them since they grew up in a different world and do not know what life is really like for a teen of today – and that may be true. However there are others reasons we should say no besides simply obeying our parents. What a lot of parents do not realize is the power you have over others when you say no. Many college studies have shown that people go along with the majority even when they know the crowd is wrong. Sounds silly, but it is true.
Here is why saying no is important. When in a crowd of friends, everyone wants to be well thought of and no one wants to be the outcast. However if in a situation such as – “Let’s go to my car and have some wine (at lunch time)”- if no one says no, no one else will either (in most cases). If someone does say “no”, anyone else that wanted to say no but were too timid to speak up is twice as likely to also say no. When you say no you almost double the odds of others saying no without feeling like an outcast.
So not only should you say no because you realize the situation at hand is a poor choice, you are also giving others that are too afraid to speak up the opportunity to join you in making the better, possibly life saving decision.
In short, not only are you responsible for doing the right thing for yourself, you have the ability to influence others as well.
Further when enough people say no, even those that suggested doing the ‘bad’ will decide not to go through with it because they do not want to go it alone. They are hoping others will blindly follow along so they can blame their actions on the ‘group think’ or peer pressure of the group. Well, “Everyone else was doing it!”
Just say no and you help yourself and your friends avoid situations that you know should be avoided.

Why You Should Never Consent To A Lie Detector Test:

David A. Camp, Ph.D.

For most of us the lie detector exists as techno-sorcery, shrouded in myth, misunderstanding, and ultimately holds many false beliefs and fear.

What are the facts? How do these machines work? Why should you never consent to such a test?  Let’s open the hood on the lie detector, learn how they work, what they can do and what they can’t. Then you will see what can happen if you take one.

First of all, there is no such thing as a lie detector machine. What most people think of when they refer to a lie detector is a technological stress identification device known as ‘the polygraph’.  The polygraph is a machine that collects and measures stress changes as a person answers questions asked by a polygraph test administrator.  In short the polygraph does three things. It measures stress, increases in stress, and decreases in stress. That’s it! The lie detecting ability of these machines is completely based on the ‘belief’ that when we lie we feel stress.

The polygraph is a set of instruments that measure and record physical functions related to stress. These include pulse rates (how fast your heart is beating), blood pressure levels (how powerfully your heart is beating), breathing rates (how fast you are breathing), lung volume (how deeply you are breathing), and galvanic skin resistance (how much sweat your skin is producing).  All of these measures increase when we feel stress. So we measure stress, so what? If these measures show an unusual increase in detected stress during questioning, the answer given when the stress was measured is assumed to be a lie.

Why does deception cause us stress?  There are three reasons:

1. During our childhood most of us are taught that lying is wrong. We feel stress because we are ‘breaking the rules we were raised with’.
2. When we lie, we have fears of being labeled a liar because we most often base our self-perceptions on what we believe others think of us.
3. When we lie, there is often a fear that we may be punished.

Many myths about lie detectors exist and some are actually (but incorrectly) included in college textbooks on human behavior. Three of the more common myths are:

1. Drugs and alcohol can be used to beat the machine
2. Refusal to take a polygraph means you are guilty
3. The machine is infallible

Drugs And Alcohol Can Be Used To Beat The Machine

Although drugs and alcohol do affect our mental and emotional states, they do not work as an effective countermeasure (a way to beat the machine). However, the test is often less effective if you are asked about something you did while you are intoxicated.

Generally, beta blocking anti-anxiety drugs may decrease the machine’s ability to measure stress. However, there is a lot of variability in how these medications affect the test.

Warning: any attempt to beat the machine, if discovered, will be considered a sign of guilt. So trying to beat the machine is not recommended if you are going to be tested.

Refusal To Take A Polygraph Means You Are Guilty

What are the likely results of taking a polygraph test? If you take it and it works like it is supposed to, your claims of truthfulness are supported. Legally though, it doesn’t matter how it turns out since the results can’t be used in court.

If you refuse to take the test in a criminal investigation, there are no legal repercussions. However, if you are concerned that those around you may think you are hiding something, you can show them the facts of polygraph error rates, thereby justifying your decision. For the most part, consenting to a polygraph test only serves the media as a way to socially convict you outside the courtroom.

On the other hand, if you take a polygraph test for a job, there is no court to say that the evidence is not admissible. In other words, if you take the test and fail, it doesn’t matter if you lied or if the machine was in error. Your potential employer will assume you’re a bad risk will not hire you.

So what can you do? Discuss the problems of the test with the employer. If the test is still insisted upon (legally – see below), then you may be able to request a specific type of polygraph test (the GKT mentioned below) if it is appropriate in that situation.

The Machine Is Infallible

Lie detectors possess many problems. The two most concerning are that lie detectors rely on stress and the error rates of lie detectors are high.

Although stress does occur when we lie, there are many other causes of stress. Stress can come from fear, physical ailments, uncertainty and even concerns about taking the test itself. In other words, polygraphs are great stress detectors, but they DO NOT detect lies. Concluding that stress is due to lying is fantastic leap of faith. In fact, studies suggest that these tests could be wrong in 4 out of every 10 tests.

The second major worry is that polygraph testing seeks to identify lies, not honesty. Thus if an error is made, most of the time it will say that your truthful answer is a lie.

Polygraph Facts

The American Polygraph Association (APA) claims that their tests show a 98% accuracy rate. In properly conducted research, those with a vested interest should never conduct the testing since they may (even unconsciously) sway the results. Those involved with the APA have a vested interest.

What about properly conducted studies?  Objective and unbiased studies show the polygraph to have an error rate of almost 40%.

If these facts are insufficient to convince you, try these views:

1. Retired Supervisory Special Agent Dr. Drew C. Richardson (who holds a doctorate in physiology, was funded by the NSA for his research on polygraph components, collected data for the DOD Polygraph Institute (DoDPI) and prior polygraph examiner for the FBI testified before the United States Senate in 1997 that, “ Polygraph screening is completely without any theoretical foundation and has absolutely no validity [and that] there is almost universal agreement that polygraph screening is completely invalid and should be stopped.”
2. Dr. Eric Haseltine (PhD in physiological psychology) past head of research and development for the National Security Agency and associate director for science and technology for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence: “it is a big leap to claim that a person is lying [based] on a physiological response. . .  I personally would not put a lot of stock in any of these measures, including polygraphy per se.”
3. Retired CIA polygraphist John F. Sullivan stated that the “Polygraph is more art than science, and unless an admission is obtained, the final determination is frequently what we refer to as a scientific wild-ass guess (SWAG)”
4. Former CIA Director John M. Deutch stated that “[The CIA's] reliance on the polygraph is truly insane”. And Last but not least
5. Former CIA Director R. James Woolsey, “…the use of this highly flawed instrument should be radically curtailed.”

However, if you still want to know more about the polygraph and its workings – read on.

What are the Polygraph Test Errors

The most common errors are ‘false positives’, ‘false negatives’, ‘operator error’, ‘mechanism malfunction’, ‘improper subject preparation’, and ‘interpretation error’.

False positives and false negatives are the errors of greatest concern. False negative errors indicate that a liar is honest while false positives indicate that a truthful subject is a liar. Since the testing is focused on finding deception rather than truth, false positives are the greatest concern.

Error rate testing found that errors occurred between 23% and 38%. In other words, if the test makes an error, it will most likely say that you are a liar when you were telling the truth. In fact this can occur as much as 37 out of every 100 tests.

Types Of Polygraph Tests

Most everyone agrees that polygraph tests are good measures of stress (even if they aren’t good lie detectors). Even if the machine was valid, how a person is tested can make a great difference in the test results. To provide the best results possible, many types of questioning procedures have been developed. Two test methods lead the pack. The Control Question Test (CQT) and the Guilty Knowledge Test (GKT).

The Control Question Test (CQT)

The Control Questions Test (CQT) compares the answers to questions like, “Have you ever stolen money?” and “did you rob this bank?”  This is the most commonly used test.

Another very serious concern is that if you fail this type of test, you will be considered a liar and assumed to be probably guilty. When evidence such as a polygraph leads police to believe that someone is guilty, they often begin an interrogation. Although interrogation today does not use torture and such, it does rely on powerful coercive psychological techniques that have been shown to have a great potential for producing false confessions (even in rational and innocent people).

The Guilty Knowledge Test (GKT)

Unlike the CQT test, the guilty knowledge test (GKT) is strongly supported by research findings. It measures stress, but does so in an innovative manner. The examiner uses groups of questions about the crime offering several possible answers. Since only one of the answers is valid and the rest are decoys, a guilty person will show stress when the right answer is mentioned because at the sound or sight of the correct answer their fears are aroused and the machine will show increased stress.

For example, when asked what weapon was used, an examiner might give choices such as “none, a knife, a screwdriver, or a gun”. Since the innocent don’t know the answer, they will show no abnormal stress on any of the offered answers. Each question has four possible answers. If an innocent person inadvertently reacts to one of the answers, there is only a 1 in 4 chance they will react to the correct answer. If two questions are presented, the chance of them accidentally reacting to the correct answer on both questions is 1 in 16. When eight questions are used, the odds are 1 in 32,768 that an error has been made.

The studies on the GKT test shows accuracy rates of 84% in identifying guilty subjects and it is correct identifying innocent persons 94% of the time. Thus, if this test can be used (in situations where questions like these can be asked), this method produces the fewest errors. Unfortunately the GKT has not been widely accepted and used by examiners.

Polygraph Testing Procedure

Regardless of the test used, the polygraph test should be given in a location that is private without distractions and with only the examiner and the subject present. The examination has three phases:

1. In the pretest phase the examiner completes the initial requirements: paper-work, background information on person, establishing rapport with them and informing them about what questions will be asked during the actual test.
2. In the chart collection phase, questions are asked and the machine records stress levels.
3. In the follow-up phase, the subject has an opportunity to explain questionable responses. However, since the final conclusion is based on the examiner’s interpretation, anything the subject says to the examiner could make things worse.

Who Can Use The Polygraph And When.

Because of the errors in polygraph results, they are generally not acceptable in a court. With respect to employers, the 1988 Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA) prohibits most employers from using polygraphs to screen job applicants. If they want you to take a test, they are in violation of the law (unless they are one of the exceptions). The exceptions to the EPPA include police, government workers and subcontractors, security companies, those involved in public health and safety, those that deal with controlled substances and businesses involving large risks (such as armored car drivers and banks).

Summary And Conclusions:

The polygraph is an effective, but imperfect, tool. Although it produces results somewhat better than chance (as high as 80% but as low as 58%) those results often rest on the examiners interpersonal skills. These are all good reasons to consider avoiding taking the test if it is not absolutely necessary.

For more the use of lie detection in professional applications (i.e. law enforcement, business, human relations, etc.) visit http://www.exposingdeception,com

Teenage girls (or their parents) can find social survival skills, safety tips, rules of human behavior and more at: http://www.teengirlssurvivalguide.com