Utah Technique

Procedures

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• Pre-Test

  1. The examinee should wash his or her hands with soap and warm water.
  2. Review the consent form with the examinee. If working for the defense, state that the results are not necessarily protected (Remember the Friendly Examiner Hypothesis.)
  3. Gather biographical information, with special attention to health, psychological treatment, seizures, and heart or blood pressure problems. Note all medications.
  4. Discuss the relevant event. Let the examinee talk. Guide the discussion with open questions. Gather as much information as possible.
  5. When inconsistencies appear in the examinee's statements, do not confront or interrogate. Only ask for clarifications.

• Test Preparation

  1. Attach the sensors.
  2. Discuss the autonomic nervous system at a level appropriate to the examinee. Emphasize the involuntary nature of the system.
  3. Introduce the acquaintance test, and provide a justification for conducting it. (i.e., "Everyone is different." "I need to see reactions from when you tell the truth, and when you lie", etc).
  4. Conduct a known-answer acquaintance test. At the end of the test, discuss the acquaintance test with the examinee.
  5. Review the relevant questions word for word, making amendments if necessary. Remember, they must: be understandable to the examinee, compel the examinee to answer totally truthfully or deceptively, and have probative value.
  6. Introduce the sacrifice relevant question next.
  7. Introduce the comparison questions, along with a rationale for using them:
     • For the PLC, advise the examinee that it is important to determine whether he or she has done something like the relevant issue before.
     • For the DLC, advise that you need to see what it looks like when the examinee is telling a lie, just like the numbers test, and it will confirm that the examinee remains a suitable test subject.
  8. Review the irrelevant questions.
  9. Review the outside-issue question. Reassure the examinee that there will not be any surprise questions in the examination.

• Example of a Utah ZCT

  • 1. Do you understand that I will ask only questions we have discussed?
  • 2. Regarding whether you were involved in the death of your father on August 4, 1892, do you intend to answer all of the questions truthfully?
  • 3. Is your first name Lizzie?
  • 4C. Prior to 1892, did you ever hurt anyone?
  • 5R. Did you strike your father with an ax on August 4th?
  • 6. Is your last name Borden?
  • 7C. Before the age of 30, did you even one time ever get angry enough to want to injure anyone?
  • 8R. On August 4th, did you strike your father with an ax?
  • 9. Were you born in Fall River, Massachusetts?
  • 10C. In your 20s, did you ever strike out in anger at any person?
  • 11R. Did you use an ax to strike your father?

• Test

  1. The question sequence for the UZCT is:

     Position	1	2	3	4	5
     1	OI	OI	OI	OI	OI
     2	SR	SR	SR	SR	SR
     3	IQ1	IQ1	IQ1	IQ1	IQ1
     4	C1	C2	C3	C1	C2
     5	R1	R1	R1	R1	R1
     6	IQ2	IQ2	IQ2	IQ2	IQ2
     7	C2	C3	C1	C2	C3
     8	R2	R2	R2	R2	R2
     9	IQ3	IQ3	IQ3	IQ3	IQ3
     10	C3	C1	C2	C3	C1
     11	R3	R3	R3	R3	R3

     C_: Comparison Question
     IQ_: Irrelevant Question
     OI: Outside-Issue Question
     R_: Relevant Question
     SR: Sacrifice Relevant Question

  2. One practice unique to the Utah Technique is the inter-chart discussion. After the chart, the examinee is asked:
     • How was it?
     • Were there any problems with any of the questions?
     • How about the question about (the PLC or DLC topic)?
     • Did you have anything on your mind?
  3. Do not bring up the relevant questions.
  4. Collect three charts, and score them.
     • If the results are NDI, debrief the examinee, and end the session.
     • If the results are DI, proceed according to attorney or client agreement, or the agency SOP.
     • If the results are Inconclusive, collect 2 more charts. Score all 5 charts together. Whatever the results are after the 5 charts are the final results.

• Scoring

  1. The 7-position scoring system is used. The 9 diagnostic features used to score are:
     • Breathing: Apnea, suppression, and increase in cycle time (slowing).
     • Electrodermal: Amplitude. Duration and complexity considered.
     • Blood pressure: Amplitude. Duration considered.
     • Finger Pulse Amplitude: Amplitude reduction.
  2. For scoring and decision rules for single- and multiple-issue UZCTs, see the guide entitled Numerical Scoring.