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Researcher file
John C. Kircher
Computerized polygraph systems, ocular-motor deception detection, and psychophysiological credibility assessment
40Studies
1979–2018Active period
25Co-authors
10Research areas
23Journals
Researcher record
NameJohn C. Kircher
AffiliationUniversity of Utah — United States
Publications40 peer-reviewed studies in this database
Active period1979–2018
Research focusComputerized polygraph systems, ocular-motor deception detection, and psychophysiological credibility assessment
About John C. Kircher
John C. Kircher was a professor at the University of Utah who arrived as a graduate student in psychology in 1977 and earned his Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Utah. He later held a teaching position in the department of Educational Psychology at the University of Utah before retiring from the University of Utah to join Converus as Chief Scientist in 2019. Dr. Kircher passed away on November 18, 2025, following a battle with cancer, and earned the Distinguished Innovation and Impact Award in 2017.
Kircher's most transformative contribution to polygraph science was introducing the world's first computerized polygraph system in 1991 with Dr. David Raskin, which incorporated the first algorithm to be used for evaluating physiological data collected for diagnostic purposes. His research spanned Comparison Question Test (CQT) methodology, computerized scoring systems, and countermeasures detection. He co-developed the Utah Numerical Scoring System and conducted influential meta-analyses demonstrating polygraph validity. In 2002, during a road trip to climb Mt. Rainier, Dr. Kircher and Dr. Doug Hacker conceived the idea for an ocular-motor deception test, which became EyeDetect—the first ocular-motor deception test (ODT). He later invented the Multi-Issue Comparison Test (MCT), the first credibility assessment to classify examinees on a question-by-question basis.
Dr. Kircher published more than 90 scientific publications and technical reports in the field of psychophysiological detection of deception and served as a consultant to the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, National Science Foundation, National Research Council, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and numerous state and local police departments. His most important collaborator was David C. Raskin, with whom he worked for decades at the University of Utah. Their laboratories were recognized worldwide as leaders in research and development of polygraph methods and computer techniques. He also frequently collaborated with Charles Robert Honts and Steven W. Horowitz on controlled laboratory studies.
Kircher's work bridged psychophysiology, computer science, and cognitive psychology. His computerized polygraph systems fundamentally transformed the field from analog to digital methodology, while his later ocular-motor research incorporated expertise in reading psychology and eye-tracking technology. His research ranged from fundamental validation studies of the CQT in both laboratory and field settings to exploring new physiological measures (pupil diameter, cardiovascular patterns) and developing automated, algorithm-based decision-making systems that reduced human bias in credibility assessment.
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Researchers who have co-authored studies with John C. Kircher.
Publications [40]
All peer-reviewed studies by John C. Kircher in our database.
[001]
2018 Detecting Concealed Information and Deception: Recent Developments (J. P. Rosenfeld, Ed.)
Ocular-motor deception test
ODT accuracy ranged from 78% to 86% based on logistic regression analysis, with over 85% correct classification in laboratory studies and similar performance across different cultures. [002] 2016 European PolygraphLaboratory and Field Research on the Ocular-motor Deception Test
Cross-validation accuracy averaged 83.1% under standard laboratory conditions and 86.1% in field studies, with accuracy rates ranging from 78% to 86% across diverse populations including English, Spanish, and Arabic speakers. [003] 2014 Elsevier Academic PressCredibility Assessment: Scientific Research and Applications
Polygraph test accuracy is estimated at approximately 89% for specific-incident criminal investigations and 85% for screening applications. Electrodermal reactions are the most diagnostic psychophysiological measure, and total scores with 2-stage… [004] 2014 • OCULAR-MOTOR Journal of Experimental PsychologyLyin’ Eyes: Ocular-Motor Measures of Reading Reveal Deception
Evaluated eye-tracking as deception detection. Guilty subjects showed increased pupil responses but less reading time on deceptive statements. Combined measures correctly classified 85% of participants. [005] 2014 In Credibility Assessment: Scientific Research and Applications (Eds. Raskin, D.C., Honts, C.R., Kircher, J.C.)Validity of polygraph techniques and decision methods
The review reports approximately 89% accuracy for specific-incident criminal investigations and 85% for screening applications, with laboratory studies showing 91% accuracy for guilty and 89% for innocent subjects using the… [006] 2012 PolygraphHuman and computer decision-making in the psychophysiological detection of deception
Only electrodermal response amplitude, cardiograph baseline increase, and respiration line length proved valid and reliable indicators of deception across all independent samples. Examiners showed systematic patterns in weighting physiological cues… [007] 2011 PolygraphThe Use of Physiological Measures to Detect Deception in Juveniles
Examined CQT application with juvenile populations. Found that physiological measures can effectively detect deception in younger examinees, expanding the evidence base beyond adult populations. [008] 2009 Foundations of Augmented CognitionEye Movements and Pupil Size Reveal Deception in Computer Administered Questionnaires
Guilty participants demonstrated larger pupil responses and faster, more efficient reading of crime-relevant statements compared to innocent participants, with oculomotor discriminant functions successfully distinguishing between guilty and innocent groups and… [009] 2009 Legal and Criminal PsychologyEffectiveness of pupil diameter in a probable-lie comparison question test for deception
Pupil diameter demonstrated significant predictive validity for deception (r = 0.61), performed comparably to traditional skin conductance measures, and showed potential as a replacement for relative blood pressure measurement in… [010] 2008 In D.L. Faigman, M.J. Saks, J. Sanders, & E. Cheng (Eds.), Modern scientific evidence: The law and science of expert testimony (Vol. 5)Scientific status: The case for polygraph tests
Laboratory studies showed approximately 90% mean CQT accuracy, field studies with independent scoring showed 90.5% accuracy, and studies with original examiner scoring showed 97.5% accuracy. Information Gain analysis demonstrated CQT… [011] 2008 Physiology & BehaviorNew measures improve the accuracy of the directed-lie test when detecting deception using a mock crime
New physiological measures improved the accuracy of directed-lie tests when detecting deception in mock crime scenarios. The study addressed previous limitations showing that respiration measures were less diagnostic in directed-lie… [012] 2002The Effects of Augmented Physiological Feedback on Detection of Deception
Augmented physiological feedback decreased habituation rates and improved discrimination between innocent and guilty participants, with effects persisting across multiple test charts, suggesting feedback manipulation can systematically influence polygraph test quality… [013] 2002 Journal of Forensic SciencesComputerized Polygraph System
The CPS algorithm demonstrated accuracy rates of 95-96% on confirmed truthful cases and 85-95% on deceptive cases in field validation studies, performing comparably to or better than blind human scoring… [014] 2001Comparison of Skin Conductance and Skin Resistance Measures for the Detection of Deception
The research demonstrated that stimulation pretests can contribute to increased polygraph test accuracy. The study also provided comparative data on skin conductance versus skin resistance measurement approaches, informing subsequent development… [015] 1999 • NUMERICAL SCORING PolygraphThe Utah Numerical Scoring System
Formalized the Utah-CQT numerical scoring system resulting from 30+ years of scientific research. Provided standardized procedures achieving highest rates of criterion accuracy and inter-rater reliability. [016] 1997 PsychophysiologyThe role of the control question in physiological detection of deception
[017] 1997 • EXPERIMENTAL PsychophysiologyThe Role of Comparison Questions in Physiological Detection of Deception
Mock crime study with 120 participants examining comparison question mechanisms. Found comparison questions produced different physiological patterns for innocent vs. guilty subjects, providing empirical support for the CQT rationale. [018] 1997 • FIELD REVIEW Book ChaptersReview of Field Studies of CQT Since 1988
Review of all field studies published since 1988 producing an overall accuracy of 90.5%. Documented consistent improvement in field accuracy with adoption of numerical scoring methods. [019] 1996 PsychophysiologyMental and Physical Countermeasures Reduce the Accuracy of the Concealed Knowledge Test
Investigated whether countermeasures can defeat the CIT. Found that both mental and physical countermeasures reduced detection accuracy. However, the CIT was found to be more resistant to countermeasures than the… [020] 1995 International Journal of PsychophysiologyPolygrapher's dilemma or psychologist's chimaera: a reply to Furedy's logico-ethical considerations for psychophysiological practitioners and researchers
The authors concluded that Furedy's concerns about the CQT were lacking on almost all counts and that his arguments were based on misrepresentations and logical errors rather than genuine ethical… [021] 1994 Journal of Applied PsychologyEffects of countermeasures on the control-question polygraph test
Both mental and physical countermeasures enabled approximately 50% of guilty subjects to defeat the CQT, with strongest effects observed in cardiovascular measures. Countermeasures were difficult to detect either instrumentally or… [022] 1994 Journal of Applied PsychologyMental and Physical Countermeasures in CQT Polygraph Testing
Landmark study on countermeasures. Found that trained countermeasure use could affect CQT accuracy, but untrained subjects remained highly detectable. One of the most-cited countermeasure studies in polygraph literature. [023] 1994 • LANDMARK STUDY Journal of Applied PsychologyCountermeasures and CQT Accuracy
Definitive study on countermeasures in CQT. Found that trained countermeasure users could reduce detection rates, but detection of countermeasure use itself is possible. Untrained subjects remained highly detectable. [024] 1994 Small Group ResearchAnalysis of variance versus bootstrap procedures for analyzing dependent observation in small group research
Bootstrap procedures substantially outperformed ANOVA in maintaining appropriate Type I error rates under conditions of observational dependency, while ANOVA showed dramatically inflated error rates as within-group correlation increased. [025] 1992 • EXPERIMENTAL Forensic Reports, 5, 265–272Effectiveness of Control Questions Answered ‘Yes’: Dispelling a Polygraph Myth
Challenged the assumption that “yes” answers to control questions reduce test accuracy. Found no significant accuracy difference between yes and no answers, dispelling a widely held examiner belief. [026] 1990 Contract ReportDevelopment of a Computerized Polygraph System and Physiological Measures for Detection of Deception and Countermeasures: A Pilot Study
The study demonstrated the feasibility of fully computerized polygraph systems for both data acquisition and automated analysis, contributing to algorithms and measurement techniques that formed the foundation for modern digital… [027] 1989 • LABORATORY/FIELD Book ChaptersRecent Laboratory and Field Research on Polygraph Techniques
Comprehensive review describing DLT laboratory and field research showing it is at least as accurate as the CQT with fewer false positive errors, simpler to construct, and a good substitute… [028] 1988 Unpublished manuscript / Later in Raskin (1989)Meta-Analysis of the Comparison Question Test
The first meta-analysis of the CQT. Found significant moderator effects for subject type, incentives, and decision policy. All three variables predicted accuracy but showed high covariations. This pioneering work laid… [029] 1988 • COMPUTERIZED SCORING Journal of Applied PsychologyHuman Versus Computerized Evaluations of Polygraph Data in a Laboratory Setting
Compared human examiner scoring with computerized analysis. Found computerized evaluations achieved accuracy of at least 90%, equaling or exceeding human scorers. Demonstrated feasibility of automated polygraph interpretation. [030] 1988 • LANDMARK FIELD STUDY National Institute of Justice, Grant No. 85-IJ-CX-0040A Study of the Validity of Polygraph Examinations in Criminal Investigation
Major NIJ-funded field study demonstrating that CQT accuracy exceeded 90% when properly employed by skilled examiners. Established benchmark for forensic polygraph validity in actual criminal investigations. [031] 1988 • META-ANALYSIS Law and Human BehaviorMeta-Analysis of Mock Crime Studies of the Control Question Polygraph Technique
Early meta-analysis of 14 CQT laboratory studies. Found significant moderator effects including student vs. community participants and motivation levels. Accuracy exceeded 85% across studies. [032] 1988 • RESEARCH PsychophysiologyPatterns of Activation and Deception
Examined physiological activation patterns during deceptive vs. truthful responding. Found distinct activation patterns across respiratory, cardiovascular, and electrodermal channels that differentiate truth from deception. [033] 1988 • CROSS-VALIDATION University of Utah (Grant Report)Replication and Cross-Validation of Utah Mock Crime Study
Cross-validation study confirming earlier findings. Demonstrated replicability of CQT accuracy across multiple independent experiments with different examiners and participant pools. [034] 1988 Journal of Police Science and AdministrationEffects of spontaneous countermeasures on the physiological detection of deception
Sixty percent of guilty subjects spontaneously attempted countermeasures (primarily relaxation and breathing control), but these untrained tactics had no effect on test outcomes, with evaluators achieving 80% accuracy and 0%… [035] 1983 PsychophysiologyDetection of deception: Effectiveness of physical countermeasures under high motivation conditions
With enhanced training, countermeasure subjects produced 47% false negative outcomes compared to 0% for guilty controls, demonstrating that simple physical countermeasures could effectively defeat the polygraph by artificially augmenting responses… [036] 1982 PsychophysiologyCross-validation of a computerized diagnostic procedure for detection of deception
Computerized discriminant analysis achieved accuracy rates equivalent to experienced human evaluators in classifying guilty and innocent subjects, with successful cross-validation demonstrating generalizability across independent samples. [037] 1981Computerized chart evaluation in the detection of deception
The computerized algorithm achieved classification accuracy comparable to expert human examiners, with skin conductance amplitude emerging as the most diagnostic measure and multivariate discriminant analysis proving superior to single-measure approaches. [038] 1979 • EXPERIMENTAL PsychophysiologyValidity of CQT in Laboratory Mock Crime Study
One of the Utah group’s foundational mock crime experiments with 72 volunteers. Established the Federal Zone of Comparison technique validity using numerical scoring, with accuracy exceeding 85%. [039] 1979 • FOUNDATIONAL PsychophysiologyCQT Mock Crime Laboratory Study
One of the earliest CQT mock crime studies from the Utah group. 72 student volunteers randomly assigned to guilty/innocent conditions with financial motivation bonus. [040] 1979 PsychophysiologyEffects of information and practice on detection of deception
Detection accuracy remained robust across all experimental conditions, with detailed information about the CQT and practice having minimal impact on the ability to differentiate guilty from innocent subjects, demonstrating that…Explore all research.
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