Voice Stress Analysis was introduced into the field of "detection of deception" or psycho-physiological detection of deception (PDD) in the early seventies as a means to offer an alternative to the polygraph. Messer's Wilson Ford, Alan Bell and Charles McQuiston, who was a polygraph examiner, and all former Army officers, invented the first voice stress analyzer, completing the (PSE) Psychological Stress Evaluator, in January 1971.

The PSE was a voice stress analyzer, not per se a "lie detector." Both the PSE and the Polygraph measure stress. Unfortunately, the PSE was studied as a 'lie detector' and many sought other uses to evaluate this voice stress analyzer outside of the arena of lie detection. Therefore, many studies were flawed in that they failed to evaluate the (voice stress) PSE, keeping in mind it was manufactured for the sole purpose of measuring stress as it was related to deception. That is, a level of consequence was required to correctly evaluate any stress captured for evaluation.

In 2003, the National Academy of Science (NAS), following an eighteen month study, exposed a serious lack of studies of credible data when voice stress and other alternatives to polygraph were submitted for review to the Department of Defense Polygraph Institute. The academy listed "bias, conflict of interest and unscientific decision making" by DODPI.

For example, when reviewing only a few of the former studies below (1-6) evidences the lack of a definitive scientific reporting of voice stress as it relates to deception.

1. Brenner, M. "Stage Fright and Steven's Law." Dept. of Psychology, Ohio State University, tried to evaluate 'voice stress' as a means to measure stage fright and its correlation to the person on stage and the size of their audience.
2. Wiggins, S. L., McCranie, M. L., and Bailey, P. Dept. of Psychiatry, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georga. "Assessment of Voice Stress in Children". Here the authors concluded that audio stress can be detected with a VSA in psychiatric patients.
3. Ruiz, Legros, and Guell, 1990. Voice analysis to predict the psychological or physical state of a speaker. Published in Aviation, Space and Environment Medicine. Reported that psychological stress may be detected as acoustic modifications in the fundamental frequency of a speaker.
4. (AFRL-R 00-102) In fall 2000, Air Force Research Laboratory in Rome, NY, funded by the National Institute of Justice, concluded a three year study of voice stress. Reporting that several features of voice stress are effective for detecting stress when a person is answering questions under stress. Using audio cassettes of 45 cases AFRL report 100 percent accuracy with two different voice stress analyzers.
5. CESTARO, V. L. and DOLLINS, A. B. An analysis of voice responses for the detection of deception. June 1994, Report No. DoDPI94-R- 0001. Department of Defense Polygraph Institute, Ft. McClellan, AL 36205.
6. 1995 DoDPI report, the Department of Defense Polygraph Institute, report No. DoDPI95-R-0002.

While these two DoDPI studies also failed to use a consequence of stress in their evaluation, Dr. Cestaro did report that the Voice Stress Analyzer does work according to the manufacturer's theory of operation and more importantly, "these data indicate there may be a systematic and predictable relationship between voice patterns and stress related to deception".

The 2000 Air Force Research Laboratory report combined with the 1995 DoDPI report, the Department of Defense Polygraph Institute and report No. DoDPI95-R-0002., serves as proof positive that voice stress analysis works.

The "systematic and predictable relationship between voice patterns and stress related to deception" reported by Dr. Cestaro seemed to fall on "deaf ears" leaving off with a recommendation of 'warranted' further study.

Nonetheless, with thousands of examiners from law enforcement agencies across the United States using voice stress analyzers with great success, VIPRE will be able to enhance the profession with a more modern and technologically superior instrument.