Leonard Saxe

For similarly named people, see Leonard Sax (disambiguation).

Not to be confused with Leonard Sax, psychologist, physician and author.

Leonard Saxe
Alma mater	University of Pittsburgh (PhD, 1975)
Scientific career
Fields	Psychology, sociology of religion, demography
Institutions	Brandeis University

Leonard Saxe (born June 12, 1947) is an American social psychologist whose work focuses on social psychology, sociology of religion, and American Jewry. He is currently the Klutznick Professor of Contemporary Jewish Studies and Social Policy at Brandeis University and the director of the Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies and the Steinhardt Social Research Institute at Brandeis.^[1][2]

Polygraph research and critiques

Saxe’s research has been influential in the scientific evaluation of polygraph testing and its validity. In 1985, Saxe co-authored The Validity of Polygraph Testing: Scientific Analysis and Public Controversy, a peer reviewed article assessing the theoretical foundations and empirical evidence for polygraph use. This work concluded that serious problems exist in both the rationale and supporting evidence for polygraph accuracy, particularly for proposed government screening applications, and highlighted limitations in the scientific support for claims of high validity.^[3]

Saxe was a principal investigator on broader scientific evaluations of polygraph testing, including a comprehensive review examining the nature and application of polygraph assessments. These evaluations determined that the polygraph instrument itself does not detect deception but instead records physiological responses that must be interpreted by examiners, and that available scientific evidence is insufficient to establish general validity across contexts.^[4]

In collaboration with Gershon Ben-Shakhar, Saxe also examined the admissibility of polygraph evidence in legal settings, arguing that traditional standards for scientific evidence (such as those outlined in Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc.) reveal a lack of methodological support for polygraph reliability and consistency.^[5]

Saxe’s research has been cited in discussions of public policy and legislation related to polygraph use, including debates over the reliability of polygraph evidence in court and its role in employment screening, underscoring the scientific controversy surrounding polygraph testing.^[6]

Sociological research

Saxe has conducted a number of studies on the American Jewish community.^[7] Saxe's research points to a more positive outlook on concerns of the American Jewish community. His figures show larger than previously reported estimates of the population size of American Jewry.^[8][9]

2010 Census of American Jews

In 2010, Saxe, along with sociologists Elizabeth Tighe and Charles Kadushin published their secondary data findings from local Jewish community studies. Their findings were intended to act as a census of American Jews, as the National Jewish Population Survey had been cancelled due to budget constraints.^[10]

Birthright-Taglit studies

Saxe has conducted a number of studies on the effect of the Birthright-Taglit program on young American Jews.^[2]

Awards

In 2012, Saxe was the recipient of the ASSJ's Marshall Sklare Award for his contributions to the social scientific study of contemporary Jewry.

See also

• Brandeis University
• Berman Jewish Policy Archive

References

1. Brandeis University faculty page
2. "The iCenter | Leonard Saxe". Archived from the original on 2013-09-21. Retrieved 2013-10-29.
3. "Research Portal". scholarworks.brandeis.edu. Retrieved 2026-02-12.
4. "Scientific Validity of Polygraph Testing - A Review and Evaluation - A Technical Memorandum | Office of Justice Programs". www.ojp.gov. Retrieved 2026-02-12.
5. "Research Portal". scholarworks.brandeis.edu. Retrieved 2026-02-12.
6. Weinglass, Simona (2016-03-06). "When a job interview turns into an interrogation". The Times of Israel. ISSN 0040-7909. Retrieved 2026-02-12.
7. "Publications by Author. Berman Jewish Policy Archive.
8. Kamaras, Jacob. New U.S. Jewish population figures may allow community to ‘get beyond the numbers’. JNS.org. October 1, 2013.
9. Beckerman, Gal. New Study Finds More Jews in the United States Than Previously Thought. The Jewish Daily Forward. December 22, 2010.
10. Tighe, Elizabeth, Leonard Saxe & Charles Kadushin. Estimating the Jewish Population of the United States: 2000-2010. Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies (CMJS). 2011.

External links

• Brandeis University faculty page
• Berman Jewish Policy Archive author publication page