Neuroscience
Been thinking a lot about this behavior screening they’re talking about doing at airports. I’m curious about the science behind it – definitely behavioral & cognitive science-related!
Today’s Times seems to share my curiosity, as they published Faces, Too, Are Searched at U.S. Airports, complete with a graphic on seeing emotions in faces .
The article describes the Transportation Security Administration’s "behavior detection officers," apparently attempting some techniques adopted at Israelis airports.
Here's what state police officers at Logan tried after September 11:
"The officers observed travelers’ facial expressions, body and eye movements, changes in vocal pitch and other indicators of stress or disorientation. If the officers’ suspicions were aroused, they began a casual conversation with the person, asking questions like 'What did you see in Boston?' followed perhaps by'Oh, you’ve been sightseeing. What did you like best?'
"The questions themselves are not significant, Mr. Robbins said. It is the way the person answers, particularly whether the person shows any sign of trying to conceal the truth."
This has been expanded in the past 9 months to more airports, and of about 50 people turned over to the police for intense screening:
"[H]alf a dozen have faced charges or other law enforcement follow-up … because the behavior detection officials succeeded in picking out people who had a reason to be nervous, generally because of immigration matters, outstanding warrants or forged documents."
There are problems with civil liberties, of course.
- Extras
Eye-catching studies that didn't make the final cut: Thermal imaging as a lie detection tool at airports. 'In comparison to their younger counterparts, older adults generally reported and expressed greater sympathy while observing the target persons'...
- Alzheimer's Disease (ad): Dementia Telephone Screening
Tomorrow's Sunday New York Times Magazine is its annual new ideas of the past year issue. Among the many shiny ideas presented is telephone screening for dementia: Alzheimer’s Telephone Screening By RON FEEMSTER The New York Times Published: December...
- Giving Good Airport
While on my flight home from NASIG last week, I used my iPod Touch to watch a New Yorker conference session called Deconstructing the Airport. Paco Underhill, founder of market research and consulting company Envirosell, talks about how to remake air...
- Finding Liars?!
Interesting article from Time about finding liars -- another way of addressing the behavioral "profiling" now hot in airports & other security checkpoints. Ross Buck, from UConn's Com Sci department points to this article, which is much like the one...
- Wanted: Law Enforcement Interns
Chesterfield County Police Department is recruiting summer interns for the Summer of 2012. Chesterfield County is a FIRST CHOICE suburban community located outside of the capital city of Richmond Virginia. The following internship positions are currently...
Neuroscience
Behavior Screening
Been thinking a lot about this behavior screening they’re talking about doing at airports. I’m curious about the science behind it – definitely behavioral & cognitive science-related!
Today’s Times seems to share my curiosity, as they published Faces, Too, Are Searched at U.S. Airports, complete with a graphic on seeing emotions in faces .
The article describes the Transportation Security Administration’s "behavior detection officers," apparently attempting some techniques adopted at Israelis airports.
Here's what state police officers at Logan tried after September 11:
"The officers observed travelers’ facial expressions, body and eye movements, changes in vocal pitch and other indicators of stress or disorientation. If the officers’ suspicions were aroused, they began a casual conversation with the person, asking questions like 'What did you see in Boston?' followed perhaps by'Oh, you’ve been sightseeing. What did you like best?'
"The questions themselves are not significant, Mr. Robbins said. It is the way the person answers, particularly whether the person shows any sign of trying to conceal the truth."
This has been expanded in the past 9 months to more airports, and of about 50 people turned over to the police for intense screening:
"[H]alf a dozen have faced charges or other law enforcement follow-up … because the behavior detection officials succeeded in picking out people who had a reason to be nervous, generally because of immigration matters, outstanding warrants or forged documents."
There are problems with civil liberties, of course.
- Extras
Eye-catching studies that didn't make the final cut: Thermal imaging as a lie detection tool at airports. 'In comparison to their younger counterparts, older adults generally reported and expressed greater sympathy while observing the target persons'...
- Alzheimer's Disease (ad): Dementia Telephone Screening
Tomorrow's Sunday New York Times Magazine is its annual new ideas of the past year issue. Among the many shiny ideas presented is telephone screening for dementia: Alzheimer’s Telephone Screening By RON FEEMSTER The New York Times Published: December...
- Giving Good Airport
While on my flight home from NASIG last week, I used my iPod Touch to watch a New Yorker conference session called Deconstructing the Airport. Paco Underhill, founder of market research and consulting company Envirosell, talks about how to remake air...
- Finding Liars?!
Interesting article from Time about finding liars -- another way of addressing the behavioral "profiling" now hot in airports & other security checkpoints. Ross Buck, from UConn's Com Sci department points to this article, which is much like the one...
- Wanted: Law Enforcement Interns
Chesterfield County Police Department is recruiting summer interns for the Summer of 2012. Chesterfield County is a FIRST CHOICE suburban community located outside of the capital city of Richmond Virginia. The following internship positions are currently...