The “Wonder” of Lie Detection

Comic Book aficionados may recognise the name William Marston as the creator of popular DC Comics character Wonder Woman. He created the character in the early 1940’s after consulting for DC Comics and noticing the lack of female protagonists in comic books of that era.

A lesser known fact is that he was also one of the pioneers of the science of polygraph testing and lie detection.

William Moulton Marston was a Harvard educated psychologist who is credited with creating a theory on human behaviour known as the DISC Theory which is still in use today.

He can also be credited with being one of the first people to establishing a link between increases in blood pressure and deception.  To this day cardiovascular activity is one of the three channels recorded and evaluated in the modern polygraph test.

William Marston remained fascinated with the science of lie detection his whole life and some people have credited this fascination with the so called “Lasso of Truth” that featured prominently in the Wonder Woman graphic novels.