William Moulton Marston (1893 - 1947),
received his Ph.D. from Harvard and spent most of
his adult life as a teaching and consulting psychologist.
A prolific writer, Marston was a contributor to the
American Journal of Psychology, The Encyclopedia Britannica,
The Encyclopedia of Psychology, in addition to authoring
and co-authoring five books.
Marston is best known for his success
with the lie detector. In his book, The Lie
Detector, published in 1938, he documented the
theory and use of the tool. Today, lie detectors are
used worldwide by law enforcement officials.
Most people are unaware this eminent
psychologist was the originator, writer and producer
of Wonder Woman. This comic strip provided
a strong female role model and with the Lasso
of Truth, villains were compelled to tell the
truth.
In 1928 he published, Emotions
of Normal People, in which he described the
DISC theory we still use today in behavioral research.
Marston described four categories of human response.
Dominance, the drive to overcome opposing forces perceived
inferior to the strength of self; Influence (Marston
used the term inducement), the attempt to ally forces
to ourselves through persuasive means; Steadiness
(Marston used the term submission), the acquiescence
of the self to a perceived allied force; and Compliance,
the subordination of the self to a hostile force of
superior strength.
Today, 75 years after its publication,
Marstons work has been enhanced by continuous
behavioral research. The importance of his contribution
in identifying four distinct categories and the measurement
of the strength of this response in the explanation
of human behavior has remained undiminished.
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