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Show Keeping Up Utliene & Science Service. WNU service. "Lie Detector" May Explore Minds of j Mental Patients Unconscious Emo'.ions May Be Discovered HANOVER, N. H. A new technique for detecting emotion emo-tion through measurement of electric resistance of the skin was reported to the American Psychological association here. Possible use of this new test in exploring the unconscious minds of the mentally ill was suggested by the results of experiments reported by Dr. T. W. Forbes, of the New York State Psychiatric institute and hospital. Sometimes known as the "lie detector," de-tector," the psychogalvanometer used to record the physical changes that occur when a person is questioned ques-tioned about his guilt or when his emotions are aroused in any other way has previously been incorrectly incor-rectly used. Dr. Forbes indicated. The electrodes have customarily been applied to two separate skin areas. By reading potentials from just a single skin area. Dr. Forbes found not one but two waves which were confused or masked in the readings from two areas. Reading the Waves. One wave is negative and the other positive, and both occur with great regularity in most individuals. The "a," or negative, wave showed little variation in amplitude and occurred oc-curred whether the subject was excited ex-cited or not. The positive "b" wave, on the other hand, occurred with increased ; magnitude whenever the subject I was excited. This was true whether the "excit-' "excit-' ing" situation involved electric ' shock, the startle of a revolver shot, or words designed to be embar-rassing. embar-rassing. The "lie detector" technique would not be equally effective on all individuals for the purpose of detecting de-tecting their emotional responses, Dr. Forbes' experiments indicated. Some individuals, he reported, failed to show any change of the "b" i wave except with very intense startle. |