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Event: John A. Larson Develops the First Polygraph Machine

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Event: John A. Larson Develops the First Polygraph Machine

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📍 Where?

University of California, Berkeley, USA

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🔹 Born: December 11, 1892, in Shelburne, Nova Scotia, Canada.

🔹 Died: October 1, 1965, in Nashville, Tennessee, USA.

🔹 Education: Ph.D. in Physiology from the University of California, Berkeley.

🔹 Profession: Psychologist, Police Officer, and Forensic Scientist.

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In 1921, John Augustus Larson, a psychologist and police officer, invented the first modern lie detector, also known as the polygraph. His device measured blood pressure, pulse rate, and respiration to detect physiological changes that could indicate deception.

This groundbreaking invention was first used in 1924 in a murder case in Berkeley, California, where it helped collect evidence against William Hightower, accused of killing a priest. This case became one of the first recorded uses of forensic psychology in criminal investigations.

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Larson’s Contributions to Psychology & Forensics

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Larson’s Contributions to Psychology & Forensics

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Invented the first polygraph – The foundation for modern lie detection techniques.

Pioneered forensic psychology – His work helped merge psychology with criminal investigations.

Inspired future research – His polygraph became the basis for later developments in deception detection, though modern psychologists debate its reliability.

Despite his success, Larson himself later became critical of the polygraph, believing it was used too indiscriminately in law enforcement.

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🔹 First Use of Psychology in Criminal Cases – Helped shape forensic psychology as a scientific field.

🔹 Lie Detection Becomes Popular – Polygraphs are still used today in criminal investigations, job screenings, and even pop culture (crime shows, movies, etc.).

🔹 Controversy & Ethics – The accuracy of polygraphs remains highly debated, but Larson’s work sparked decades of research into deception and truth-telling.

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Even though polygraphs are not always reliable, Larson’s invention revolutionized forensic psychology and inspired further research into how human emotions and deception affect the body. Today, forensic psychologists study more advanced techniques like brain scans and behavioral analysis to detect lies.