Richard S. Weaver

Richard S. Weaver was a professional polygraph examiner in the federal government who served as Chairman of the Standards and Ethics Committee of the American Polygraph Association (APA) during the mid-1980s. He was based in Laurel, Maryland, and worked in counterintelligence screening for a federal agency. A LinkedIn profile suggests he may have been affiliated with U.S. Department of Defense security and counterintelligence operations and attended Clarion University of Pennsylvania, though this connection requires verification.

Weaver's primary contribution to polygraph science was his 1985 field study comparing the Relevant/Irrelevant (R/I) technique with the Modified General Question Technique (MGQT) in counterintelligence-suitability examinations. The study compared two commonly used polygraph testing techniques in government polygraph screening examinations to determine if the techniques differ in type of examiner decision and information developed. Data were collected at a federal agency that screens applicants and other individuals processing for initial or continued access to classified information and/or spaces through the utilization of polygraph testing techniques. This research addressed a significant gap in the field, as most research studies had investigated specific incident testing as opposed to commercial (preemployment) or government counterintelligence polygraph screening examinations.

Weaver collaborated closely with Dr. Marcia Garwood, who served on the APA Research Committee. Both were contributors to the growing body of research on field validity in government polygraph screening during the 1980s, a period when the Department of Defense and intelligence agencies were working to establish scientific foundations for counterintelligence polygraph programs.