Normal Behaviour vs. Simulated Behaviour

• Author: Gabor, D.
• Position: Faculty of Law - Transilvania University of Brasov
• Pages: 89-98

Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov

Series VII: Social Sciences • Law • Vol. 7 (56) No. 1 - 2014

NORMAL BEHAVIOUR VS. SIMULATED

BEHAVIOUR

Dan O. GABOR1

Abstract: Simulated behavior is based on a principle known since the

antiquity: the psycho-somatic interdependence, meaning the logical report

between the functioning of the body (the somatic general laws) and the ‘soul’

(the general psychic laws).

Even though there are still unknown factors in this field, it is without a

doubt that some physiological phenomena appear accompanied by

determined psychic phenomena, which in actual fact means that the

appearance of one of them represents proof of the other’s existence.

Key words: Simulated behavior, polygraph, forensic biodetection.

1Faculty of Law - Transilvania University of Braşov.

1. Short history of simulated behavior

Vittorio Benusi used the recording of

respiratory changes in order to discover

lying, and W.M. Marston resorted in

1917 to capturing the systolic blood

pressure for the same purpose. One of

the greatest predecessors of the present

technique was psychologist Hugo

Munsterberg, who dealt with the problem

witnesses’ false statements. In 1908,

James MacKenzie named his device ‘The

Ink Poligraph’ and in 1922 J.A. Larson

perfected it and thus appeared the

modern cardiopulmonary-psychograph,

representing the first generation of the

modern polygraph. An important

improvement is made in 1945 by John

Reid, who establishes the connection

between unobserved muscular activity and

blood pressure.

In Romania, biodetection starts to be

used in 1975, especially in murder cases.

The first field work is made by university

Professor Tiberiu Bogdan – ‘Psychological

investigation of simulated behavior’.

The modern scientific bases of forensic

biodetection were set in the 1970’s, when

the cybernetics principles specific for

human beings were formulated, following

the research conducted in the field of

psychophysiology. In the specialized

literature, the biofeedback is defined as a

general principle accor ding to which an

individual placed in a certain situation

emits responses with frequencies and

intensities that rise if their consequences

are positive, and they decrease if the

consequences are negative or null [2].

Based on this scientific principle, the

self-control or relaxing method has been

elaborated, according to the recording of

some involuntary physiological

phenomena and their transformation into

perceivable signals, in order for them to be

used as indicators of the state of relax and

for highlighting self-control. One can

achieve operative control for a series of

functions, such as: vasodilation, cardiac