Somatotype and constitutional psychology: Difference between revisions
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In his 1954 book, ''Atlas of Men'', Sheldon categorised all possible body types according to a scale ranging from 1 to 7 for each of the three "somatotypes", where the pure "endomorph" is 7–1–1, the pure "mesomorph" 1–7–1 and the pure "ectomorph" scores 1–1–7. From type number, an individual's mental characteristics could supposedly be predicted. |
In his 1954 book, ''Atlas of Men'', Sheldon categorised all possible body types according to a scale ranging from 1 to 7 for each of the three "somatotypes", where the pure "endomorph" is 7–1–1, the pure "mesomorph" 1–7–1 and the pure "ectomorph" scores 1–1–7. From type number, an individual's mental characteristics could supposedly be predicted. |
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Sheldon's hypotheses enjoyed a period of popularity in the 1950s and 1960s, which Sheldon leveraged to [[Ivy League nude posture photos|collect thousands of nude photographs of Ivy League college students]] in hopes of substantiating his hypothesis. However, his claims subsequently lost favor and credibility, and his work is generally dismissed by modern researchers as outdated, if not outright [[quackery]].<ref name="nyt-rosenbaum"/><ref name="nyt-sealed"/> |
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==The three types== |
==The three types== |
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The somatotypes and their associated physical traits can be summarized as follows: |
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*Ectomorphic: characterized by long and thin muscles/limbs and low fat storage; usually referred to as slim. Ectomorphs are not predisposed to store fat or build muscle. |
*Ectomorphic: characterized by long and thin muscles/limbs and low fat storage; usually referred to as slim. Ectomorphs are not predisposed to store fat or build muscle. |
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*Mesomorphic: characterized by medium bones, solid torso, low fat levels, wide [[shoulders]] with a narrow [[waist]]; usually referred to as muscular. Mesomorphs are predisposed to build muscle but not store fat. |
*Mesomorphic: characterized by medium bones, solid torso, low fat levels, wide [[shoulders]] with a narrow [[waist]]; usually referred to as muscular. Mesomorphs are predisposed to build muscle but not store fat. |
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==Modern assessments== |
==Modern assessments== |
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<blockquote> |
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Sheldon's research led to the strong confirmation of the constitutional psychologist's expectation that there is a noteworthy continuity between the structural/physical aspects of the person and his or her functional/behavioral qualities. Although Sheldon was successful in isolating and measuring dimensions for describing physique and temperament, he cautioned that the dimensions should not be examined in isolation one by one, but, rather, the pattern of relations between the variables should be studied. |
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:—[http://site.spiritofobama.com/About.html Roeckelein, Jon E.] [http://books.google.com/books?id=6mu3DLkyGfUC&pg=PA428&dq=%22Sheldon%27s+research+led+to+the+strong+confirmation%22&hl=en&ei=SG_bTv6XO4-WOt6H6bUO&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1 Dictionary of Theories, Laws, and Concepts in Psychology] Greenwood Publishing Group, 1998, p. 428 |
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Sheldon maintained that the person's somatotype is genetically determined and causes people to develop and express personality traits consistent with their body builds. For example, he hypothesized that endomorphs (high in fatty tissue) would be sociable, complacent, and capable of easy communication of feelings. He thought mesomorphs (high in muscle tissue) would be adventurous, bold, competitive, aggressive, and energetic, whereas ectomorphs (low in fatty and muscle tissue) would be inhibited, introverted, hypersensitive to pain, and secretive. He tested these hypotheses by having observers rate individuals on these trait dimensions and found empirical support for his ideas (Sheldon, Hartl, & McDermott, 1949, pp. 26–27). Although this study has been strongly criticized on methodological grounds (Sheldon himself made both the physical and psychological ratings), more methodologically sound studies—in which investigator bias was minimized by having one investigator rate the somatotypes and having the study participants independently rate their own personality traits—have also produced supportive evidence for Sheldon's position (Child, 1950; Cortes & Gatti, 1965; Yates & Taylor, 1978). |
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Sheldon's theories enjoyed a vogue as the "pop-psych flavor of the month" through the 1950s, influencing [[Abraham Maslow]], [[Aldous Huxley]], and [[Robert S de Ropp]].<ref name="nyt-rosenbaum">{{cite news | work = [[New York Times]] | first = Ron | last = Rosenbaum | title = The Great Ivy League Nude Posture Photo Scandal| date = January 15, 1995 | accessdate= December 2, 2011 | url = http://www.nytimes.com/1995/01/15/magazine/the-great-ivy-league-nude-posture-photo-scandal.html}}</ref> Modern scientists, however, generally dismiss his claims as outdated, if not outright [[quackery]].<ref name="nyt-sealed">{{cite news | work = [[New York Times]] | url = http://www.nytimes.com/1995/01/21/us/nude-photos-are-sealed-at-smithsonian.html | date = January 21, 1995 | accessdate = December 2, 2011 | title= Nude Photos Are Sealed At Smithsonian}}</ref> Some{{who|date=November 2010}} found the idea of somatotypes reminiscent of [[eugenics]] and [[racial hygiene]]; they went against the fashionable emphasis on nurture, presenting a ready-made paradigm that had strong resonances with mystical thought. |
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:—[http://umaine.edu/psychology/faculty/ Ryckman, Richard M.] [http://books.google.com/books?id=_1mQhvUfYFwC&pg=PA260 Theories of Personality] Ninth edition, Cengage Learning, 2007, p. 260 |
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</blockquote> |
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Sheldon's [[Ivy League nude posture photos|photographs of naked Ivy League undergraduates]], numbered in the thousands, were taken under the umbrella of a pre-existing program ostensibly evaluating student posture. The photos were in fact collected by Sheldon to provide data for his ideas about somatotypes, although as "part of a facade or cover-up" the students and schools were told that the photos were taken to evaluate posture.<ref name="nyt-rosenbaum"/> |
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==Applications== |
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The words endomorphic, mesomorphic and ectomorphic are still sometimes used to describe body types, as, for example, in association with [[weight training]] aimed at gaining muscle. |
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The Sheldonian somatotypes are used in the following fields: |
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*The assessment and selection of special-force soldiers.<ref>Burdukiewicz, Anna ''et al.'' ♦ [http://books.google.com/books?id=JQc5WPU1YSkC&pg=PA33 The differentiations of body build of soldiers with different specialities] ''Morphofunctional Aspects of Selection of Soldiers for Realisation of Tasks in the Army Formations'', v. 11, Warsaw, 2007</ref> |
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==See also== |
==See also== |
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*Sheldon, William H. ♦ ''The Varieties of Temperament'' ♦ Harper & Brothers, 1942 |
*Sheldon, William H. ♦ ''The Varieties of Temperament'' ♦ Harper & Brothers, 1942 |
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*Sheldon, William H. ♦ ''Varieties of Delinquent Youth (An Introduction to Constitutional Psychiatry)'' ♦ Harper & Brothers, 1949 |
*Sheldon, William H. ♦ ''Varieties of Delinquent Youth (An Introduction to Constitutional Psychiatry)'' ♦ Harper & Brothers, 1949 |
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*''Atlas of Men (A Guide for Somatotyping the Adult Male at All Ages)'' ♦ Harper & Brothers, 1954 |
*Sheldon, William H. ♦ ''Atlas of Men (A Guide for Somatotyping the Adult Male at All Ages)'' ♦ Harper & Brothers, 1954 |
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*Hartl, Emil M.; Monnelly, Edward P.; Elderkin, Roland D. ♦ ''Physique and Delinquent Behavior (A Thirty-year Follow-up of William H. Sheldon’s Varieties of Delinquent Youth)'' ♦ Academic Press, 1982 |
*Hartl, Emil M.; Monnelly, Edward P.; Elderkin, Roland D. ♦ ''Physique and Delinquent Behavior (A Thirty-year Follow-up of William H. Sheldon’s Varieties of Delinquent Youth)'' ♦ Academic Press, 1982 |
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*Gerrig, Richard; Zimbardo, Phillip G. ♦ ''Psychology and Life'' ♦ 7th ed. |
*Gerrig, Richard; Zimbardo, Phillip G. ♦ ''Psychology and Life'' ♦ 7th ed. |
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Revision as of 16:04, 4 December 2011
Constitutional psychology is a theory, developed in the 1940s by American psychologist William Herbert Sheldon, associating body types with human temperament types. Sheldon proposed that the human physique be classed according to the relative contribution of three fundamental elements, somatotypes, named after the three germ layers of embryonic development: the endoderm, (develops into the digestive tract), the mesoderm, (becomes muscle, heart and blood vessels), and the ectoderm (forms the skin and nervous system).
In his 1954 book, Atlas of Men, Sheldon categorised all possible body types according to a scale ranging from 1 to 7 for each of the three "somatotypes", where the pure "endomorph" is 7–1–1, the pure "mesomorph" 1–7–1 and the pure "ectomorph" scores 1–1–7. From type number, an individual's mental characteristics could supposedly be predicted.
The three types
The somatotypes and their associated physical traits can be summarized as follows:
- Ectomorphic: characterized by long and thin muscles/limbs and low fat storage; usually referred to as slim. Ectomorphs are not predisposed to store fat or build muscle.
- Mesomorphic: characterized by medium bones, solid torso, low fat levels, wide shoulders with a narrow waist; usually referred to as muscular. Mesomorphs are predisposed to build muscle but not store fat.
- Endomorphic: characterized by increased fat storage, a wide waist and a large bone structure, usually referred to as fat. Endomorphs are predisposed to storing fat.
Modern assessments
Sheldon's research led to the strong confirmation of the constitutional psychologist's expectation that there is a noteworthy continuity between the structural/physical aspects of the person and his or her functional/behavioral qualities. Although Sheldon was successful in isolating and measuring dimensions for describing physique and temperament, he cautioned that the dimensions should not be examined in isolation one by one, but, rather, the pattern of relations between the variables should be studied.
- —Roeckelein, Jon E. Dictionary of Theories, Laws, and Concepts in Psychology Greenwood Publishing Group, 1998, p. 428
Sheldon maintained that the person's somatotype is genetically determined and causes people to develop and express personality traits consistent with their body builds. For example, he hypothesized that endomorphs (high in fatty tissue) would be sociable, complacent, and capable of easy communication of feelings. He thought mesomorphs (high in muscle tissue) would be adventurous, bold, competitive, aggressive, and energetic, whereas ectomorphs (low in fatty and muscle tissue) would be inhibited, introverted, hypersensitive to pain, and secretive. He tested these hypotheses by having observers rate individuals on these trait dimensions and found empirical support for his ideas (Sheldon, Hartl, & McDermott, 1949, pp. 26–27). Although this study has been strongly criticized on methodological grounds (Sheldon himself made both the physical and psychological ratings), more methodologically sound studies—in which investigator bias was minimized by having one investigator rate the somatotypes and having the study participants independently rate their own personality traits—have also produced supportive evidence for Sheldon's position (Child, 1950; Cortes & Gatti, 1965; Yates & Taylor, 1978).
- —Ryckman, Richard M. Theories of Personality Ninth edition, Cengage Learning, 2007, p. 260
Applications
The Sheldonian somatotypes are used in the following fields:
- The assessment and selection of special-force soldiers.[1]
See also
References
- ^ Burdukiewicz, Anna et al. ♦ The differentiations of body build of soldiers with different specialities Morphofunctional Aspects of Selection of Soldiers for Realisation of Tasks in the Army Formations, v. 11, Warsaw, 2007
Sources
- Sheldon, William H. ♦ The Varieties of Human Physique (An Introduction to Constitutional Psychology) ♦ Harper & Brothers, 1940
- Sheldon, William H. ♦ The Varieties of Temperament ♦ Harper & Brothers, 1942
- Sheldon, William H. ♦ Varieties of Delinquent Youth (An Introduction to Constitutional Psychiatry) ♦ Harper & Brothers, 1949
- Sheldon, William H. ♦ Atlas of Men (A Guide for Somatotyping the Adult Male at All Ages) ♦ Harper & Brothers, 1954
- Hartl, Emil M.; Monnelly, Edward P.; Elderkin, Roland D. ♦ Physique and Delinquent Behavior (A Thirty-year Follow-up of William H. Sheldon’s Varieties of Delinquent Youth) ♦ Academic Press, 1982
- Gerrig, Richard; Zimbardo, Phillip G. ♦ Psychology and Life ♦ 7th ed.
External links
- Ectomorph Britannica