Some Employers Use Lie Detector Tests to Screen Job Applicants

question 35

Multiple Choice

Some employers use lie detector tests to screen job applicants.Lie detector tests are not completely reliable.Suppose that a polygraph can detect 64% of lies,but incorrectly identifies 16% of true statements as lies.A company gives its job applicants a polygraph test,asking "Did you tell the truth on your job application?".All the applicants answer "Yes",but the test identifies some of those answers as lies,thereby causing the person to fail the test.Suppose that 90% of the job applicants tell the truth during the polygraph test.What is the probability that a person who fails the test was actually telling the truth?

• A)0.444
• B)0.308
• C)0.16
• D)0.692
• E)0.9

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Definitions:

Harriet Beecher Stowe

An American abolitionist and author who wrote "Uncle Tom's Cabin," a novel that played a significant role in stirring anti-slavery sentiments pre-Civil War.

Uncle Tom's Cabin

An anti-slavery novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe published in 1852 that played a significant role in shaping public opinion against slavery in the United States.

Slaveowners

Individuals or entities that owned slaves as property for labor or services under laws or practices that permitted slavery.