Attendees at 5th Annual Converus Service Partner Conference Treated to 3 Major Announcements
In the conference’s keynote address, Converus Service Partners learned about the new Directed Lie Comparison Test protocol for EyeDetect for criminal investigations and civil cases; the pending release of a multi-issue, “4R” Relative Comparison Test; as well as the ability to now write their own tests.
Converus President and CEO Todd Mickelsen delivers the keynote address Jan. 30 at the 5th Annual Converus Service Partner Conference in Lehi, Utah.
LEHI, Utah – February 25, 2019 –Despite freezing temperatures outside, attendees at the 5thAnnual Converus Service Partner Conference Jan. 30-31 quickly warmed up to several major announcements by Todd Mickelsen, Converus president and CEO. The most significant announcement was the official release of a new 15-minute Directed Lie Comparison (DLC) test protocol of EyeDetect. It will be used for diagnostic testing, which is commonly used for criminal investigations and civil cases.
“This is a game-changer,” said Todd Mickelsen to Converus Service Partners in attendance.
The other announcements included the ability of Converus Service Partners to write their own tests and the pending release of a multi-issue, “4R” Test. The 4R test, which allows for four relevant issues to be tested and scored, is about 89 percent accurate and is scheduled to be released before July.
“We want to change the world. We want to do something good,” said Mickelsen. “We’re attempting to do this by providing the leading technology for credibility assessment.”
Mickelsen said he believes there is a $5B annual market opportunity, with a lot of that revenue being generated by government contracts worldwide. Other markets that offer substantial growth opportunities for EyeDetect are marriage/addiction counseling centers and private security.
“We believe the future is bright,” said Mickelsen. “And we believe we’re going to have great success with you going forward into the future.”
Converus Director of Professional Services Mark Handler gave a detailed presentation on the advantages of the new directed lie test, stating “it integrates very nicely into EyeDetect from a diagnostic or criminal-specific testing standpoint, or for a single-issue screening test.”
Many polygraph examiners in attendance were impressed by the option of using EyeDetect now to do investigative tests.
“This directed lie stuff is salient in every form,” commented Jared Rockwood of Intermountain Polygraph Services.
One of the highlights of the event was hearing from Converus Science Team Members Dr. John Kircher, Dr. David Raskin, Dr. Anne Cook and graduate student Andrew Potts. Cook gave a presentation about ocular-motor approaches to measuring cognitive load.
“Cognitive load is how hard you’re working to think about something,” Cook said. “That’s a really, really simple definition. But it’s a much more complex concept than that.”
While referencing a detailed chart, Cook explained the many ways cognitive load is defined and measured. She said Converus scientists decided to use ocular-motor measures because it includes fixations and pupil diameter measures, which are objective in nature.
Cook then showed attendees the evolution of eye tracking technology, which started with a Star Trek-like head-mounted device in 2002 to today’s remote device.
“We’ve come a long way in terms of technology over the years,” she said.
In Kircher’s 4R RCT presentation, he explained how it’s a multiple-issue screening test that covers four relevant issues, with 12 true/false statements about each relevant issue.
“The 4R test is very accurate,” said Kircher.
The 44 Converus Service Partners and Converus staff gather to celebrate the conclusion of another successful annual conference.
“I am impressed with the science surrounding EyeDetect — and I am totally on board, especially after what I learned at this conference,” said Tana Stone, owner of Stone Polygraph Services in St. George, UT. Stone has been doing polygraph exams for 19 years. “With EyeDetect, there is less chance of countermeasures, the components are less invasive, and the exam doesn’t take anywhere near as long as a polygraph.”
Stone feels with ongoing research, EyeDetect might eventually overtake polygraph as far as accuracy and reliability. However, she’s quick to point out EyeDetect combined with polygraph can benefit both disciplines.
Added Jeff Lierly, managing partner at Mansfield, Lierly, & Associates in Sacramento, CA, “I was most impressed with learning about the level of research that goes into the tests and the care taken to validate the research and get the correct answers. I was also impressed by the continuum of the testing process and how the Converus scientists are constantly striving to make it better.”
The conference concluded with recognizing the top-performing Converus Service Partners. CEMAPP (Mexico Region), Strategic Control, (Caribbean Region), LatinAmerican Polygraph Institute (South American Region), and EyeScan (Central American Region) were awarded the most influential service partners in their areas.
The majority of Converus Service Providers stayed for the optional training following the two-day conference and qualified for 8 hours of continuing education credit from the American Polygraph Association. Kircher’s two training sessions, “Understanding Accuracies of Two Test Outcomes” and “Base Rates of Guilt” were followed by Handler and Russ Warner, Converus VP of marketing, sales and operations, explaining test writing for EyeDetect Directed Lie Testing.
Deme Otuokon, director of Strategic Control in Jamaica, touted EyeDetect’s competitive advantages.
“One of the advantages EyeDetect brings to the credibility assessment industry is the speed of the test, he said. “That’s a major differentiator in credibility assessment because with other tests you have to wait quite a while to get the results. Another advantage of EyeDetect is the cost. But to me, the most important advantage EyeDetect gives credibility assessment experts is the fact the test is 100 percent unbiased because you don’t have a human being scoring it.”
Some of the attendees braved Utah’s winter weather and enjoyed a breath-taking sight-seeing snowmobile tour in the mountains on Feb. 2. Converus will announce the location of the 6thAnnual Converus Service Partner Conference in the near future.
For more information about Converus, visit: converus.com
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About Converus®
Converus provides scientifically validated credibility assessment technologies. EyeDetect® detects deception at 86-90% accuracy in 15-30 minutes by analyzing eye and other behaviors. IdentityDetect® detects falsified identities at 91% accuracy in about 1-3 minutes by analyzing subtle variations in the motor nervous system responses. These technologies help protect countries, corporations and communities from corruption, crime and threats. Converus is headquartered in Lehi, Utah, USA. Visit: www.converus.com
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Converus Press Contact: Jeff Pizzino, APR /+1 480-606-8292
