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The American Polygraph Association (APA) was organized in 1966 as a coalition of polygraph professionals, researchers, and instrumentation developers. APA members share a mutual interest in helping protect citizens, communities and nations by using the most valid methods known for credibility assessment. A steady pace of improvements in techniques and technologies has allowed the polygraph to remain the gold standard among the methods available for verification of truthfulness. While other technologies come and go, the longevity of the polygraph is a testament to its power to uncover those who would deceive. Thirty years of scientific research has confirmed that there is no other approach to credibility assessment that competes with the polygraph for validity, flexibility, and reliability.
Thanks to continuing successes, the polygraph field has expanded rapidly in the last decade both in the number of professional practitioners as well as the potential applications. There are APA members in more than two dozen countries, with a growing international base every year. Among the many applications of the polygraph are: police applicant screening, evidentiary polygraphy, criminal asset location, sex offender management, counterintelligence screening, political asylum validation, pre-trial stipulation, counter-narcotics programs, and counter-terrorism programs. The polygraph continues to be a mainstay in criminal investigations, of course, resolving a substantial number of cases every day from behind the scenes.
The APA has a body of ethical standards and principles of practice that are required of its members. Self-regulation is part of the APA’s professional model, which assures that its members recognize the rights of the examinee and the interests of the public. For those intending to pursue a career in the polygraph profession, membership in the APA provides a solid foundation for your practice, whether in government, law enforcement or the private sector. Likewise, for those who want to engage the services of a polygraph professional, choosing an examiner who holds APA membership is a wise choice. APA membership is the indicator that a polygraph examiner subscribes to the high ethical ideals of the Association. We encourage visitors to review the Association’s by-laws, code of ethics, and principles of practice, as well as other portions of the website, for a fuller understanding of what APA membership means.
I hope you enjoy your visit to the APA website and that you’ll stop by often.
Donnie Dutton
President, American Polygraph Association
