Topic: Anticipation

John C. Dvorak describes participating in a psychological study at the University of California involving a lie detector. He recounts being shown gruesome films, including one of a tribal circumcision involving rocks, to measure his physiological response. He explains how anticipation of the scenes caused the polygraph needles to "pin," suggesting that the tests are effective at measuring stress but can be manipulated.

An anecdote describes participating in a psychological study at the University of California involving a lie detector. The subject's physiological responses were triggered by the mere anticipation of gruesome films, causing the polygraph needles to spike before the movies even began. The experience is used to illustrate the limitations and potential for manipulation of lie detector tests.