10.4225/03/5930c8f7b3053 Heydon, Georgina Georgina Heydon Myth of the linguistic lie detector Monash University 2017 Policing Critical discourse analysis journal article Lie detection 1959.1/6643 monash:6643 Monash University. Faculty of Arts. School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics. 2017-06-02 02:09:58 Journal contribution https://bridges.monash.edu/articles/journal_contribution/Myth_of_the_linguistic_lie_detector/5063626 This paper is the result of investigations into the features of a mythology of police interviewing techniques and its relationship with current law enforcement practices. An investigation of the SCAN (Scientific Content Analysis) technique as promoted on the website of the Laboratory for Scientific Interrogation was initiated in order to discover the way in which texts aimed at law enforcement professionals contribute to or form a part of the network of beliefs, assumptions and understandings which constitute a mythology about police interviewing. This paper suggests that critical discourse analysis is an appropriate approach to the policy issues surrounding police interviewing techniques, as it provides the possibility of exposing the mythology at an institution-wide level.