We found out whether the Love Island lie detector is accurate

Last night's lie detector test sent the Love Island villa into turmoil. The boys told some lies and now the girls are pissed off. Jack might even be leaving the show?

With many sceptics exposing the fixed nature of the show, the lie detector is the latest nail in the coffin. So we decided to investigate.

Is the lie detector is actually real and how does it work?

What type of lie detector is used in Love Island?

It's a polygraph machine, that tests the participant through numerous sensors placed on the body. It measures changes in various methods when reacting to questions to try and expose the lie by the bodily reactions through blood pressure, pulse, respiration and skin conductivity.

They can measure sweating and increased pulse accuracy really well, but its causes can be sometimes mis-led.

You can also buy the exact USB Polygraph Machine used on Love Island from Amazon, sold as a Home Lie Detector test. The company who makes them boasts a 80 – 99 per cent accuracy, but it’s only rated a 3.5 stars on Amazon.

We reached out to the people behind the lie detector, asking them how accurate it really was and this is what they had to say:

Maybe avoid using the lie detector for relationship-threatening questions.

What are they key results revealed through the measurements?

The point of the lie detector is to make the signs of stress really obvious, so if you're sweating profusely or have a higher heart rate you're meant to be reacting badly to telling the truth.

According to Psychology Today, the modern way of showing you're lying through the polygraph only measures nervous excitement from the environment.

How accurate is the Love Island lie detector?

The environment has a great influence on the results instead of the desired effects. Some have reported that it isn't totally accurate because of the anger, nervousness or excitement felt separate to the questions being posed, but can maintain a high percentage.

The Psychology Today report only suggests that it maintains 65 per cent accuracy, but compares this result to the 50 per cent chance of a coin. It has to be that the majority of answers from Love Island last night were lies.

If it isn't accurate, why do they then include it in the show?

The stress and the drama created from such a test as using the polygraph machines has been long used by many reality TV shows and crime dramas. They are rejected by actual European and US criminal courts, but because of its appearance and physiological measurements can be used for obvious signs of relationship tension.

When has it been successful in past reality TV shows?

The most popular use of polygraph machines have been on Jeremy Kyle, famous for splitting couples and families up when Graham comes out with the lie detector. The cameras, audience and familial problems raise more nervousness in the taker of the test than needed, but makes good drama.

Related stories recommended by this writer:

1) Love Island lockdown: This is what contestants go through before entering the villa

2) Love Island Gossip Column: Proof the lie detector is FIXED and pics of an Islander that are unrecognisable

3) Wait? Did Jack actually leave the Love Island villa last night?