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VSA Analysis, Analyzers and Training

Voice Stress Analysis (VSA), VSA Analyzers, and Associated Training

by Lawrence Rice, VSA Instructor, VIPRE Technology Group, LLC August 2023

Establishing the Truth

We know that when emotional stress is accompanied by guilt and a known consequence, e.g. punishment will cause the body to physically react. This stress is often overtly revealed in the form of observable reactions such as sweating, a shaky voice, dry mouth, increased body odor, runny nose, upset stomach, and hives, or coupled with other notable body movements; i.e. body language. These overt responses are commonly referred to as the "Fight or Flight Syndrome." The central nervous system which supports the autonomic branch makes these overt responses uncontrollable. The central nervous system, brain, and spinal cord integrate this sensory data via a pathway known as the vagus nerve. When the brain receives and interprets information from questions being asked, this information may or may not produce stress, depending on guilt and the consequence involved. Once stressful information is learned, the brain sends a message through the vagus nerve and subsequent recurrent laryngeal nerve resulting in a proportionate reaction in the vocal cords.31,32,33,34,35

The Voice Stress Analyzer

Using an industry-approved voice stress analyzer, regardless of the manufacturer allows for the capture and display of emotional stress generated by questioning.36 Once displayed, the evaluation of a voice stress pattern is primarily dependent upon an examiner’s interpretation (which is subjective and based on examiner training and experience).37,38,39 Properly interpreting voice stress patterns, like that of charts from a polygraph, is a skill that has to be learned and then mastered through experience.40 Not all voice stress analyzers are created equal; however, most use a standard computer algorithm to detect emotional stress in someone’s voice and then display it for evaluation. Aside from the algorithm used to capture the stress in the voice, differences between analyzers for the most part are limited to menu options and orientation on how the analyzer displays the collected voice patterns.41

Voice Stress Training

Statements from VSA manufacturers and professional VSA associations that claim they are the sole training provider for specific VSA analyzers are baseless. Despite these claims, there are no federal or state regulations defining from whom VSA examiners must receive training. It should be noted the lion-share of VSA instruction usually follows and adheres to standards and protocols set by the voice stress industry.42 A review of industry-approved, voice stress analyzers reflect these standards and protocols appear to be consistent between manufacturers and professional VSA associations.43,44 Any differences in training are usually found in the personalities of the instructors and their delivery of instruction. It remains the responsibility of the VSA examiner and their respective agency to ensure whatever training is received, meets industry standards. Since 1995, the International Association of Voice Stress Analysts (IAVSA) has been a cornerstone in establishing and refining these standards and protocols. The IAVSA provides training that meets and exceeds the voice stress industry standards and protocols, thus providing VSA examiners an affordable option for their training and certification.

FOOTNOTES

31 Martin, R., Hughes, D., & Rice, L.; (2016); VIPRE Voice Stress Training Manual; VIPRE Technology Group, LLC, Orlando, Florida. 32 Porges S. W.; (2001); The polyvagal theory: phylogenetic substrates of a social nervous system; International journal of psychophysiology, official journal of the International Organization of Psychophysiology; https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11587772/; last accessed on 27 July 2023. 33 Allen E, Minutello K, Murcek BW; (2022) Anatomy, Head and Neck, Larynx Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve; National Library of Medicine, National Center for Biotechnology Information; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470179/; Last accessed on 29 July 2023. 34 Kenny BJ, Bordoni B. Neuroanatomy, Cranial Nerve 10 (Vagus Nerve) [Updated 2022 Nov 7]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537171/ 35 Culp JM, Patel G. Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Injury. [Updated 2023 May 22]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK560832/ 36 International Association of Voice Stress Analysts; https://iavsa.com/index.html; Last accessed on 27 July 2023. 37 Haddad, D., Smith, M., Ratley, R., & Walter, S.; (2001); Investigation and Evaluation of Voice Stress Analysis Technology; U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, Information Directorate, Rome Research Site, Rome, New York. 38 Hopkins, C. S., Ratley, R. J., Benincasa, D. S., & Grieco, J. J.; (2005); Evaluation of Voice Stress Analysis Technology; Proceedings of the 38th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences – 2005; https://doi.ieeecomputersociety.org/10.1109/HICSS.2005.254; Last accessed on 29 July 2023 39 Patil, V. P., Nayak, K. K., & Saxena, M.; (2013); Voice Stress Detection; International Journal of Electrical Electronics and Computer Engineering; https://portal.issn.org/resource/ISSN/2277-2626; Last accessed on 29 July 2023. 40 Martin, R., Hughes, D., & Rice, L.; (2016); VIPRE Voice Stress Training Manual; VIPRE Technology Group, LLC, Orlando, Florida. 41 Haddad, D., Smith, M., Ratley, R., & Walter, S.; (2001); Investigation and Evaluation of Voice Stress Analysis Technology; U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, Information Directorate, Rome Research Site, Rome, New York. 42 International Association of Voice Stress Analysts; https://iavsa.com/index.html; Last accessed on 27 July 2023. 43 VIPRE Technology Group; https://www.vipretechnology.com; Last accessed on 28 July 2023. 44 International Association of Voice Stress Analysts; https://iavsa.com/index.html; Last accessed on 27 July 2023. 45 Ibid. IAVSA Training Announcement Polygraph and Voice Stress Analysis (VSA) Licensing by State Retrieved from https://nebraskalegislature.gov/pdf/SurveyDocs/comparison1632923487.pdf VSA Licensing Requirements by State Polygraph Licensing Requirements by State International Association of Voice Stress Analysts: Journal of Credibility Assessment Techniques (Vol 1, Num 1)


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