^^Bizarre stealing controversy at an “America’s Got Talent” taping last Thursday.
UPDATE: Greg has taken state of the art polygraph test and shared it with his Facebook friends:
If there are any doubters left out there, HERE ARE THE FINAL RESULTS OF MY POLYGRAPH TEST. SCIENCE BITCHES!!!
Polygraph Test Report
Polygraph test of Greg Wilson
Polygraph examiner: Louis Rovner, Ph.D.
www.PolygraphWest.com
April 29, 2013
I am a polygraph examiner with a private practice in Los Angeles. I hold three degrees in Psychology, a Bachelors degree (B. A., University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 1974), a Masters degree (M.A., University of British Columbia, 1976), and a Doctorate (Ph.D., University of Utah, 1979). My Masters degree was awarded in the area of Biopsychology, and my Ph.D. in the area of Psychophysiology. Psychophysiology is the only field of specialization in Psychology and Psychiatry that relates directly to the use of the polygraph in a lie detection setting. I also completed the course of instruction at the Los Angeles Institute of Polygraph in 1986.
I have been an instructor of Psychology, Physiology, and Psychophysiology at the Los Angeles Institute of Polygraph and the Marston Polygraph Academy for more than twenty years. In addition, I have taught and spoken at numerous seminars and workshops designed to serve the needs and interests of professional polygraph examiners. I have also taught a variety of Psychology and Statistics courses at the University of Utah, Westminster College, and California Lutheran University.
I have conducted polygraph research which has been published in scientific and professional journals, and have written numerous articles about polygraph-related issues for other professional publications.
I am a member of the Panel of Experts of the Los Angeles Superior Court, Criminal Division. In addition to being recognized by the L.A. Superior Court as an expert in polygraph testing, I have testified as an expert about polygraph test results in criminal, civil and child custody courts in the United States and Europe. I am a Full Member of the American Psychological Association (APA), the American Psychology-Law Society (APLS), and the American Polygraph Association (APA). My full resume can be found at www.PolygraphWest.com.
On April 29, 2013 I conducted a polygraph examination of Greg Wilson at my office in Los Angeles. The examination was conducted using scientifically validated methods and procedures which were developed at institutions including the University of Utah and the United States Department of Defense Polygraph Institute. Mr. Wilson’s physiological responses (cardiovascular, respiratory and electrodermal) were monitored and recorded by a Lafayette LX4000 computerized polygraph. The testing methodology employed was a Utah Zone of Comparison Test (UZCT). According to a recent research report published by the American Polygraph Association, the UZCT is the most accurate of all scientifically validated polygraph testing techniques. I have personally published scientific research utilizing the UZCT. My accuracy rate in that research was 95.5%.
Mr. Wilson retained me to conduct this test. He is a professional comedian and actor living in Los Angeles. On April 25, 2013 he performed a comedy routine entitled “Couple Fight” for a taping of a television program. Immediately following the performance, he was accused of stealing the routine. Frank Nicotero, another comedian, was present at the performance and claimed that the routine was his. Mr. Wilson told me that he was the sole author of “Couple Fight” and that he had not stolen it from Mr. Nicotero, He volunteered to take a polygraph test about the issue.
The polygraph examination session commenced at 10:45 AM. The session began with a lengthy and detailed pre-test interview, during which Mr. Wilson informed me that he was in reasonably good health, and that he was not under the influence of any illegal drugs or alcohol. We then discussed the issues, and I made certain that terminology and understanding between us was consistent.
Based on our discussion, I formulated Mr. Wilson’s test questions and reviewed each of them with him, assuring him that those questions would be the same questions asked during the test. The polygraph examination included the following relevant questions:
Had you ever seen, heard or read someone else’s performance of “Couple Fight” before you performed it on April 25, 2013?
(Mr. Wilson’s answer: No)
Is the piece “Couple Fight” solely a product of your creativity and craftsmanship?
(Mr. Wilson’s answer: Yes)
Did you steal “Couple Fight” from another comedian?
(Mr. Wilson’s answer: No)
In addition to the above relevant questions, appropriate comparison and neutral questions were included in the test question sequence.
After reviewing the questions with Mr. Wilson, I explained the psychological and physiological bases of the test. I described the function of each polygraph component as they were attached to
him. I then conducted a “stim” test on Mr. Wilson in which I instructed him to tell a lie about a number that was written on a piece of paper in plain view of both of us. Upon verifying that his physiological recordings were adequate, I conducted the examination. Three charts (three times through the question sequence) were run.
Results
Mr. Wilson passed his polygraph test. My objective, numerical evaluation of the polygraph charts indicates that he answered the relevant questions truthfully.
Numerical evaluation is a procedure in which a polygraph examiner measures the strength, size and other characteristics of a subject’s physiological responses at certain locations in the polygraph tracings, and then assigns point values to reflect the magnitude and quality of those responses. To be considered truthful when he answered the relevant questions, Mr. Wilson’s total score would have to equal or exceed +6 points. To be considered deceptive to the relevant questions, his score would have to equal or exceed -6 points. Scores in the range of -5 to +5 are considered to be inconclusive. Mr. Wilson’s score was +11.
As such, it is my professional opinion that Greg Wilson created “Couple Fight” himself and did not steal the routine from Frank Nicotero or anyone else.
Louis Rovner, Ph.D.
