Earlier this December, Dan Ribacoff, CEO of International Investigative Group and Indepth Polygraphs, was interviewed by Alex Hazard of ABC 50 to discuss their time on The Steve Wilkos Show and Ribacoff’s role as a Polygraph Examiner on the show.
See the full interview here:
Dan Ribacoff’s Credentials:
To begin the interview, Hazard asks Dan Ribacoff to discuss his impressive professional career and credentials. Ribacoff explained that he has specialized in private investigation since 1990 and that he is also an expert in both polygraph examination (Lie detector tests) and credibility assessments (Determining whether or not someone is telling the truth through physical and verbal signs, without the use of a polygraph machine. See How to Tell When Someone is Lying). This is why he has been famously nicknamed “The Lie Detective” and had his own TV show in Europe with that very title.
Conducting Polygraphs on The Steve Wilkos Show:
While it may seem like conducting a polygraph exam is as simple as hooking someone up to a machine, asking them questions and then BOOM, you know if they’re lying or telling the truth… it’s not. During the interview, Hazard asks Dan Ribacoff to walk through the process of how the show uncovers the truth for each story that comes their way.
Ribacoff claims that there is a specific strategy that he uses in order to obtain the most accurate polygraph results. First, is the conversational period, where he sits down with the person he is polygraphing and speaks to them about the situation they are being asked about to gain a better understanding of the story and get early signs that the subject is either lying or telling the truth. Next comes the medical test, where the person is deemed physically and mentally fit to take a polygraph exam and is tested to make sure that he/she is not under the influence of drugs or alcohol, as this can skew the polygraph results. The final phase before conducting the the actual polygraph exam is the background intake phase, where Ribacoff will ask the subject about their criminal or relationship history to see if they have ever been accused of the same thing before in the past. If they have, it’s normally a prelude that they may be guilty of what they are being accused of doing.
Dan Ribacoff then stated that this conversational period is actually what takes up most amount of time when conducting polygraphs. The part that Ribacoff calls “getting the charts”, where the person is hooked up to the polygraph machine and asked a series of yes or no questions, actually only takes about 3-5 minutes per round. Ribacoff states that he typically does about 3-4 rounds of the same questions with the subject to ensure that the most accurate results possible are obtained.
The Accuracy of Polygraphs:
While there are numerous myths about the accuracy of polygraphs and their permissibility, Dan Ribacoff explains that polygraphs are a proven and accurate science. Polygraphs have been experimented with and optimized over the past 100 years, since their initial conception in 1921. Dan Ribacoff, who is a certified member of the American Polygraph Association, claims that the most accurate form of polygraph examinations is 99.4% accurate, which is more accurate than most medical tests!
While on the subject of medical tests, Ribacoff also explains that polygraphs can be classified as a scientifically proven medical test, as it includes the use of medical instruments to test for physiological changes in a subject when making a past-event-based statement. While there may be skeptics and critics of polygraphs, you can’t argue with science. Especially with a science that has been globally tested and has even been tested and approved for accuracy by the United States Military.
Are the Stories that Appear on Steve Wilkos Show Real or Fake?
Dan Ribacoff, who has been the head polygraph examiner on The Steve Wilkos Show for every season since its debut in 2007, has confirmed that all of the stories that appear on the show are in-fact real. While not all of these recordings make it on the air, Ribacoff states that most people who come onto the show actually wind up telling the truth on when taking polygraphs. Alex Hazard then adds in that the episodes that include people lying and getting caught make for better TV, which is why they are aired more and why it may seem like most people lie on the show.
Dan Ribacoff also explained how himself and The Steve Wilkos Show have gotten to the bottom of some very serious abuse and sexual assault cases, which often involve children. In the interview, Ribacoff stated that a lot of his polygraph results have led to the arrest and conviction of some of the guests who were proven guilty of committing criminal acts while on the show. In addition to this, he states that he has also used his polygraph results to prove the innocence of some of the show’s guests as well when falsely accused of committing criminal acts.
Getting Help From The Steve Wilkos Show
At the end of the interview, Dan Ribacoff and Alex Hazard went over how to get in contact with The Steve Wilkos Show for help with anything from a relationship issue to a criminal issue that requires a polygraph exam. To get in contact with the show, go to www.stevewilkos.com or call 1-888-STEVE-07 (783-8307)
