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Popular questions and answers

Here are the most frequently asked questions about the work of StimulTest. We tried to answer each of them in as much detail as possible. If you could not find the answer to your question among them, try asking us using the feedback form. We will answer you as soon as possible. And if the question you asked is interesting and popular, we will also publish it.

Basic questions about the system

Testing

Application

Polygraph

Basic questions about the system

How does StimulTest work?

A person reflexively reacts faster or slower to what is important to him. Moreover, the more significant the stimulus is for a person, the more different his reaction is from what is indifferent to him. During testing, a person sees (realizes) only a meaningless (neutral) disguise. His task is to press the same computer key every time he sees a new disguise – a series of numbers (masker for phrases) or a colored mosaic (masker for photographs).

Without realizing it a person reacts faster or slower to various stimuli which he does not even have time to see. The difference in reactions depends on how the subconscious assessed these stimuli (the subconscious is always “truthful”). As a rule, the difference in response is so insignificant that it seems to a person that he reacts the same to all disguises. However, reaction speed is assessed in StimulTest with an accuracy of 1 ms (thousandth of a second), which allows to accurately determine a person’s attitude. 

How accurate is StimulTest?

For all applications, the average accuracy is:

● 65-75% for standard tests (without personalization);

● 75-85% for group tests (partial personalization);

● 85-95% for individual tests (full personalization).

Conclusions about accuracy are based on the results of 8 years of testing – more than 1000 tests in each of the main areas of application (security, psychology, marketing), confirmed by objective data (documents, facts, etc.). For most applications, specialized techniques have been developed to further improve the quality of research and the accuracy of results. The StimulTest scientific team continues to search for ways to improve accuracy. Field studies help optimize the technology to improve the accuracy of the results.

What makes StimulTest unique?

1. Obtaining genuine results is ensured by the fact that human consciousness is excluded from the testing procedure (short time of stimulus presentation followed by masking).

2. A person’s attitude to stimuli is determined by the speed of pressing a computer key (there is no special equipment).

3. It is impossible to deliberately distort the result (wishful thinking) because it is not known what stimulus is presented and when.

4. In each test, the individual specificity of a person’s response is determined..

5. A system for identifying the emotional modality of stimuli (positive or negative) is integrated into the structure of the test to determine what a person likes (accepts) and what he does not like (rejects).

How can StimulTest make predictions about the future when memory content is examined?

All stimuli are presented in a subthreshold (unconscious) form. The human subconscious is characterized by advanced forecasting (anticipation) to ensure human safety. Over the course of many years of research, it was revealed that holding a button pressed (the time between pressing and releasing the button) indicates a forecast for the future:

1. Short-term forecast: days – weeks;

2. Medium-term forecast: weeks – months

During 10-year observations, in more than 80% of cases, objective evidence was obtained confirming the prognostic data.

Is StimulTest intended for the B2G, B2B or B2C business model?

All three business models are acceptable for work: for the state (Government), for business (Business) and for the consumer (Consumer). In order to ensure the confidentiality of information and protect personal data, SSL encryption (cryptographic protocols) is used when exchanging data between your personal account and the server. To ensure maximum confidentiality, it is possible to purchase a server and install it in the customer’s DATA center.

Is StimulTest technology safe for a person when studying his subconscious?

Yes, the technology is safe because it only records a person’s attitude towards what he sees on the computer screen. In tests, each phrase or photograph is presented 3 times, without causing a suggestion effect, for which you need to repeat the same thing at least 7-9 times in a row.

Testing

Do I need to provide personal information to an expert or system in order to pass the test?

No, mandatory personification in the system is not required. You can keep whatever you consider necessary secret from the expert and the system.

Can I take the test at home or at work without visiting an expert?

Yes you can. For such purposes, the system has the ability to conduct testing remotely. It is very comfortable.

What should I do during testing?

Before each test instructions that describe everything that needs to be done are presented: “In this test, you will be asked questions only on the following topics: (test topics are indicated). To conduct the test, you need:

● sit at a distance of about two to three feet [50 cm to 70 cm] from the computer monitor;

● turn off cell phones;

● calm down and relax.

First, on the dark field of the screen the inscription “To start the test, press the left button of the computer mouse or the SPACEBAR button” will be presented”.

Having tuned in to the test you should press the button. During the test you will be presented with disguised questions in the form of a random series of numbers or a colored mosaic, on a dark screen field with a frequency of approximately 2 times per second. You have only one task which is press the LEFT button of the computer mouse or the SPACEBAR button every time the next row of numbers or mosaics appears.

If you are in a hurry, an error warning “EARLY” will appear, if you are late – “LATE”. Be careful and try to avoid mistakes (the fewer mistakes you make, the shorter the test will be). During testing, you will be given a short break every 4 – 5 minutes. The completion of the testing procedure will be indicated by the inscription “TEST SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED”. You can always abort the test by pressing the “Esc” button.

How long does testing take?

On average, testing lasts 10-20 minutes. The more mistakes a person makes during testing (hurries or is late pressing the same computer key), the longer the test lasts (1 mistake lengthens the test by 5-6 seconds).

Note:
In the course of many years of research, it was noted that such monotonous activity should not exceed 25–30 minutes, so as not to provoke a rejection effect in a person (reluctance to undergo subsequent tests).

What effect do different substances or conditions have on test results?

More than 2000 researches confirm that in a state of withdrawal (after taking various drugs), with excessive arousal (stress) or fatigue (drowsiness), a person cannot maintain a constant rhythm of pressing a key, that is why he makes an extremely large number of mistakes, which automatically leads to the abortion of the test.

Note:
In the active phase of exposure to chemical (pharmacological) drugs, one can pass the test because the autonomic nervous system is balanced (the tone of the processes of tension and relaxation is synchronized). 

Is it possible to subtly trick the system during testing?

No, it’s impossible, because a person does not know where and when he needs to resist since during the test he sees (realizes) only the disguise of questions. There are effective methods of counteraction, but they are so obvious that even a specialist-beginner can easily detect them.

What are the testing restrictions in StimulTest?

The main list of contraindications are as follows:

● pathology of visual perception (decreased visual acuity, astigmatism, conjunctivitis, nystagmus, glaucoma);

● Increased level of arterial (intracranial, intraocular) pressure;

● Impaired movement of the fingers (limited micromotor skills; tremor, paresis, paralysis, muscle rigidity);

● Reduced level of intellectual development;

● Acute or exacerbation of chronic mental illnesses, which are accompanied by persistent lability, increased or decreased psycho-emotional activity;

● Physical and/or mental exhaustion;

● Withdrawal syndrome due to taking psychoactive (narcotic) or sedative (hypnotics) pharmaceuticals;

● Photosynthetic epilepsy (light flickering).

In addition to the abovementioned, there are other body conditions that can cause increased or decreased reactivity in a way that affects the accuracy of the test result. In addition, various systemic diseases (diabetes mellitus, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, brain or spinal cord injury) and other conditions or diseases may also affect test results. 

What is the process for evaluating results?

The results are evaluated automatically on the Stimul Test server. To evaluate the results, the author’s set of nonparametric criteria, developed by scientists and tested by specialists, is used. A new results assessment system has been introduced which is based on artificial intelligence algorithms, as well as BIG DATA technology.

In some cases, before testing begins, the respondent is required to fill out a form – to express his attitude to all test stimuli with answer “yes/no/don`t know’’. In some cases, before testing begins, the respondent is required to fill out a form – to express his attitude to all test stimuli with answers.

Why do I need to fill out the stimulus form before starting the test?

Filling out the form is necessary to ensure that the client’s attention is focused and activated on what will be presented during the test. After testing is completed , the client ‘s subjective opinion (his conscious judgement) can be compared with the objective test result (his unconscious opinion).

After what time is it advisable to do the test again?

1. Repeated testing is usually carried out for the following reasons: when the test is interrupted due to a large number of errors. Repeated testing after at least 2-3 hours, optimally the next day.

2. When it is necessary to conduct additional, detailed testing. Repeated testing after at least 1-2 hours.

3. When the research methodology involves conducting several tests. Repeated testing after at least 2-3 days, optimally after 6-7 days.

Why are errors presented during testing? What is their meaning?

During testing, a person must respond to presented stimuli by pressing the same computer button each time they see a disguise. The time for presenting masked stimuli is from 0.1 to 1.0 seconds, the response time to masking is 0.5 seconds. The EARLY error occurs when a person is in a hurry and presses a button before the disguise is shown on the screen.

The “LATE” error occurs when a person is late and presses a button after the acceptable response time.

All mistakes provoke negative emotions in a person (mini stress). After each error is presented, a recovery period (8-12 neutral stimuli) is included in the test algorithm. That is why each error extends testing by several seconds.

The maximum permissible number of errors in a test is 150, exceeding which interrupts testing with the notification “Test interrupted. Rest and take the test later”.

Application

What industries or types of companies use StimulTest most often?

1. Large, medium, small public, commercial and private companies.

2. Companies with a large number of personnel or a large number of geographically remote divisions, branches or remote workplaces of employees.

3. Companies from those industries/activities in which the issue of periodic/mass monitoring of employees is relevant:

● checking the moral qualities and risk factors of hired, working, and dismissed personnel;

● personification of people, verification of the authenticity of documents, connections, contacts, acquaintances;

● identification of individuals or groups of individuals involved in crimes, corruption schemes, suspected of espionage, terrorism, criminal business, illegal immigration, and so on;

● optimization of relationships in the team, identifying the psychological and behavioral qualities of individual employees;

● improving the consumer properties of goods and services.

How can StimulTest be useful for a person personally?

Directions for use for ADULTS:

1. Optimization of relationships in society, at work, in the family.

2. Situations when someone is lying to a person (lie detection).

3. Identification of risk factors in loved ones (antisocial behavior, tendencies, addictions).

4. Situations when a person deceives himself – delusions, intrapersonal conflicts, psychological causes of diseases, and so on.

5. Finding optimal solutions from a large number of options – shopping, travel, dating, career guidance, self-determination, and so on.

Directions for use for ADOLESCENTS:

1. Optimization of relationships in society, in an educational institution, at work, in the family, with peers.

2. Situations when someone is lying to a teenager (lie detection).

3. Identification of risk factors in loved ones (antisocial behavior, tendencies, addictions).

4. Situations when a teenager deceives himself – delusions, intrapersonal conflicts, psychological causes of diseases, and so on.

5. Finding optimal solutions from a large number of options – self-determination, dating, career guidance, and so on.

What is the scheme for using StimulTest to check risk factors among personnel?

1. With the help of an expert, create tests that will be tailored specifically for your employees. Apply 2 groups of risks: general and professional.

2. Test these tests on several employees. If necessary, modify the content of these tests to ensure that as many stimuli as possible are productive

3. Test those employees who, in your opinion, best meet the requirements/requests. Make average results of optimal employees. This will be a real template/reference for your enterprise.

4. When searching for candidates for positions, check them against a real template/standard

5. Provide mass testing of the working staff during the financial reporting period.

6. Compare the financial performance of departments with test results in StimulTest. Draw conclusions about what psychological qualities of employees increase or decrease business profitability. Monitor changes in employee qualities over time (1st year quarterly, 2nd year half-yearly, further on your desicion)

7. Make informed administrative decisions. 

How to use StimulTest in business for marketing?

The StimulTest psychological testing system is the world’s first online technology for determining the true attitude towards everything that interests the person or the customer. The most in demand areas are security, psychology, and marketing. As you know, motivation and decision making usually occur automatically (unconsciously). Therefore, a person’s unconscious attitude should be key in marketing research. It is logical that if in StimulTest all images are presented below the threshold of awareness, then this is the optimal tool for marketing research.

Practical procedure: arrange the list of tasks to be investigated in order of importance

1.For testing, select one of the tasks of medium importance (for example, a logo).

2.Select the types of variations of the image being studied (for example, logo size, type, font size, background color, and so on).

3.Form focus groups of equal numbers from potential consumers or users (gender, age, nationality, education, social status, and so on).

4.Conduct initial testing of focus groups using all types of criteria for the image being studied.

5. Conduct a comparative analysis of test results to identify which image options are most acceptable to the majority of representatives from all or individual focus groups..

6. Conduct a comparative analysis of the test results to determine which versions of the image are most acceptable to the majority of representatives of all focus groups or selected focus groups.

7. In the list of images, please make adjustments based on the priorities for each of the focus groups (for example, older people accept 16 font sizes, younger people 12 font sizes).

8. Conduct repeated testing of each focus group to clarify their priorities (what is acceptable/liked)

9. Conduct control testing of identified priorities on different focus groups, consisting of new people.

10. Make informed marketing decisions based on people’s unconscious reactions. 

Рolygraph

What's the difference between the StimulTest and the polygraph?

Polygraph
StimulTest
1
Individual tools (1 specialist can test 1 respondent and only locally)
Mass tool (1 specialist can simultaneously test several dozen people locally or remotely).
2
Equipment with 5 mandatory physiological activity sensors is required.
There is no equipment (motor reaction is determined by the speed of pressing the key).
3
The average research time is 90 – 120 minutes.
The average research time is 20 – 30 minutes.
4
All questions are realized.
All questions are realized.
5
The respondent knows where to counteract.
It is unknown where and how the result can be distorted.
6
When preparing for the study, the specialist must enter all the questions.
When preparing for a study, the specialist needs to introduce only target stimuli.
7
All questions must be presented to the specialist independently.
All stimuli are presented automatically.
8
The results of the research must be interpreted by a specialist independently.
Research results are interpreted independently or automatically.

Research results are interpreted independently or automatically.

Disadvantages of using a polygraph in investigations
It should be noted that all the difficulties listed below are not imaginary, but objectively problematic. Any polygraph expert who specializes in this kind of research will confirm that..
A large number of suspects (tens – hundreds);
Finding suspects in different places (districts, cities, countries);
Lack of time to conduct a full study (up to 1 hour);
Limited time to conduct an investigation;
Distraction of employees for a long time from performing their official duties;
Lack of a specialist in the region where the research needs to be conducted
Borderline conditions that do not allow high-quality use of the polygraph (stress, fatigue);
Skillful methods of counteraction (psychological, physical and others);
Finding suspects under the influence of pharmacological drugs;
Refusal of suspects to undergo polygraph testing;

It is undesirable for the suspect to disclose the circumstances of the crime;
Failure of suspects to cooperate with the investigation;
Conflict of interest between customers and relatives, friends, colleagues;
Conflict of interest between polygraph examiners and suspects;
State and/or corporate ban on the use of a polygraph;
Difficulties in conducting research in languages that the polygraph examiner does not speak;
Disadvantages of methods for using photographs during polygraph studies.
Difficulties and difficulties when using a polygraph
Economic restrictions on the use of the polygraph.
In addition to the general ones, there are also the following economic limitations to the use of the polygraph in crime investigations:

Refusal to conduct research due to large amounts of associated costs for customers.
It is logical that to solve all these shortcomings we need a “reliable assistant” – a new research tool or technology that would be widespread and objective, simple and economical, universal and mobile. And such technology already exists – this is the “StimulTest” system, which over the past 7 years has been used more than 2000 times in investigations. As a result of such long-term and widespread testing, a specialized technique has now been created that maximizes the practical effectiveness of using StimulTest both in conjunction with a polygraph and without it in the investigation of both administrative and criminal offenses.
Examples of effective use of StimulTest and polygraph

We invite you to take a look at some of the situations in which the StimulTest and the polygraph have been shown to be highly effective.
Examples of joint use of StimulTest and computer polygraphs
Theft of money from a commercial firm
1 specialist – 54 suspects – 7 days – 1 crime – 1 criminal
The owner of the company asked to find out which of his 54 employees stole money from the office of one of the company’s managers. Within 3 days, all employees were tested in StimulTest. As a result, a risk group of 5 people was formed. In the next 2 days, all employees from the risk group were tested with a polygraph. Based on the results of two research methods (Stimul Test + polygraph), on the 7th day after receipt of the order, an employee was identified who was potentially involved in the theft of money, which was subsequently confirmed by objective data (cash balances and purchases made with stolen money were found).
Theft of a safe from the office of the head of a wholesale warehouse.
1 specialist – 137 suspects – 12 days – 1 crime – 5 criminals. 

Was StimulTest designed to replace the polygraph?

Yes and no. StimulTest cannot be compared with a polygraph because these are fundamentally different technologies.

A polygraph is an individual instrument with conscious presentation of stimuli. StimulTest is a toolkit with unconscious presentation of stimuli. Experts successfully use StimulTest as an individual tool instead of other psychodiagnostic technologies, including the polygraph.

Fundamentally, the research methodology in both tools is identical. In StimulTest, when automatically constructing the test structure, only one method of “neutral and test questions” is used, which allows you to initially eliminate all disagreements between experts.

As practice shows, qualified and experienced polygraph examiners, as a rule, make the best StimulTest experts.