John Synnott

John Synnott is affiliated with the International Research Centre for Investigative Psychology at the University of Huddersfield, UK, where he serves as Professor of Psychology and Director of the Professional Doctoral Academy (PDA)—the UK's leading doctoral platform for senior police leaders. He obtained his degree in Psychology from University College Dublin, Ireland, completed his MSc in Investigative Psychology at the University of Liverpool, and joined the University of Huddersfield in 2013 upon completion of his PhD. His broader research portfolio spans investigative psychology, offender decision-making, homicide, geographic profiling, and cybercrime.

Synnott's contribution to polygraph science is best represented by his 2015 comprehensive review article co-authored with David Dietzel and Maria Ioannou. The review focuses on the history of research into psychophysiological measurements as an aid to detecting lying, widely known as the 'lie detector' or polygraph. The paper gives attention to the main polygraph testing methods, namely the Comparative Question Test and the Concealed Information Test, with discussion of these two central methods, their uses and problems forming the basis of the review. Writing in the 2015 Crime Psychology Review paper, Synnott and his colleague Maria Ioannou summed up a key concern: "When individuals actively attempt to detect deception, their accuracy levels are barely above chance".

Though Synnott has published only one peer-reviewed article specifically on polygraph testing, his 2015 review "A Review of the Polygraph: history, methodology and current status" in Crime Psychology Review has been recognized and cited by institutions including the Library of Congress. His research interests list deception and polygraph among multiple areas including forensic psychology, investigative psychology, suicide, homicide, and offender profiling. He has supervised PhD candidates on topics including the use of the polygraph in the detection of deception, indicating continued engagement with psychophysiological deception detection as part of his broader investigative psychology work.

Synnott's polygraph research connects to his wider expertise in investigative psychology, particularly offender behavior and decision-making. He has collaborated extensively with Maria Ioannou on criminal narrative research and has contributed to policy development for law enforcement agencies in Ireland and the UK. He has extensive media experience, having appeared on radio and television with his work featured internationally including in the Washington Post, CNN, and the journal Nature.