phrenology
Sign in to savethumb|Phrenological skull, European, 19th century. Wellcome Collection, London
AI overview
I can see this is an image of a phrenological skull from 19th-century Europe, but the caption alone doesn't provide enough information for me to write an accurate, substantive overview of what phrenology is or why it matters historically. To write responsibly without inventing facts, I would need additional context explaining phrenology's principles, history, or scientific status.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Research
335 papersvia PubMed
Article
29 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Mental faculties
- Method
- History
- Application
- Racism
- Gender stereotyping
- Education
- Criminology
- Psychiatry
- Psychology
- Reception
- Great Britain
- France
- Ireland
- United States
- South Africa
- Specific phrenological modules
- Propensities
- Sentiments
- Intellectual faculties
- Reflecting faculties
- Phrenology as popular science
- Influences on popular culture
- Phrenology's decline in popularity
- See also
- References
- Bibliography
- External links
thumb|Phrenological skull, European, 19th century. Wellcome Collection, London
Phrenology is a pseudoscience that involves the measurement of bumps on the skull to predict mental traits. It is based on the concept that the brain is the organ of the mind, and that certain brain areas have localized, specific functions or modules. It was said that the brain was composed of different muscles, so those that were used more often were bigger, resulting in the different skull shapes. This provided reasoning for the common presence of bumps on the skull in different locations. The brain "muscles" not being used as frequently remained small and were therefore not present on the exterior of the skull. Although both of those ideas have a basis in reality, phrenology generalizes beyond empirical knowledge in a way that departs from science. The central phrenological notion that measuring the contour of the skull can predict personality traits is discredited by empirical research. Developed by German physician Franz Joseph Gall in 1796, the discipline was influential in the 19th century, especially from about 1810 until 1840. The principal British centre for phrenology was Edinburgh, where the Edinburgh Phrenological Society was established in 1820.