What Is Phrenology? Here's What The Shape Of Your Skull Says About You

Phrenology, the study of the skull's contours, may tell you about your character – or maybe it won't. Here's what science has to say about it.

Phrenology – the method of examining the shape and contours of the skull – has returned to the public consciousness. Franz Joseph Gall developed the theory in 1796, believing the cranium had indications of character and mental capabilities. The study became influential in the 19th century but was discredited as a theory in the 1840s. The term has also been labeled "pseudoscience" in modern times, and the same goes for physiognomy (a practice that assesses someone's personality based on their face).

Gall claimed that he started observing people's behaviors as a kid, and noticed that his classmates with good verbal memory had more prominent eyes. Based on this observation, he reasoned that the skull's appearance could be tied to the brain's underlying shape.

Gall theorized that the brain had 27 distinct “organs” influencing personality, and that 19 of these faculties were even in animals. These so-called organs and their functions are listed below. However, some websites state Gall's followers' research had up to 37 organs.

The assessment is easy, and you could do it yourself. Phrenologists would run their fingers over patients' skulls to feel for bumps or indentations. Gall's list of brain organs was a reference for specific attributes – for example, a larger organ suggested its frequent use, while a smaller one pointed to a faculty’s infrequent or periodic use. Then again, phrenologists also thought they could find a part of the brain related to sexual feelings by touching the heads of emotional young women and widows. And, they studied a part connected to aggressiveness by touching flat areas on the heads of peaceful people – “Hindoos and Ceylonese,” as one phrenologist called them. In other words, their methods relied on weak stereotypical and sometimes racist assumptions about various groups in society.

One study from 2018 found that their "phrenological analyses produced no statistically significant or meaningful effects." Researchers found no connections between areas of the head and personality traits, even with advanced methods and MRI scans.

Then again, a 2003 review article in the journal Anthropology speculated that compression could damage the developing frontal lobe, leading to "impaired vision, object recognition, hearing ability, memory, attentiveness, and concentration." Other researchers hold different opinions on this, due to how the skulls were measured, and insist that the pressure could have changed the shape of the face more than the actual brain.

Given what we know, phrenology shouldn't be trusted. But for fun, let’s go over what phrenologists would say about your personality. I found an old book from 1836 titled Outlines of Phrenology by George Combe that we’ll be using as a reference.

According to Combe, the upper part of the cerebellum can determine your "philoprogenitiveness," or your love for children. He says that people who have this instinctive love for kids are often "selfish individuals" with no compassion toward adults. If this part of your cranium is large, congratulations – you like children but hate adults, apparently.

This part is right above and toward the back and front of the ear's outer opening. If it’s large, you’re destructive, angry, and impatient. Yet, you stand up for yourself should the need arise. If you have an indent, or if that area is smaller, your “destructiveness” is minimal – you could be passive in nature and more docile.

This organ is at the top of the head, slightly above the posterior angle of the parietal bones. Your self-esteem is moderate if this area is flat or less prominent. A large size indicates a large self-esteem. When this is abused, it "produces pride, disdain, conceit, selfishness," and "the love of power," but a lack of self-esteem could lead to envy.

On the left (Jacob Jarvis), you'll notice that the sides of his cranium slope from the top. On the right is Clara Fisher, and hers doesn't slope; it stands tall and high, indicating a talent for "imitation," which is key for acting or playing a role. Combe believes it aids the portrait painter and the sculptor. When this organ is deficient, he typically just shows up as himself and his dominant traits.

Eventuality is the ability to understand and acknowledge everything – movement, actions, events, etc. “It is the source of verbs, as Individuality is of substantives. It observes occurrences, and prompts to the use of experiments to gain knowledge,” Combe writes. It's what assists you in noticing changes and the ability to tell stories about them. The organ, number 30, is in the middle of the forehead.

Professor Thomas Sewell rejected the idea of phrenology, according to The Atlantic. He suggested that brain injuries didn't affect bodily function in the same way that phrenology predicted. Lastly, he insisted the brain couldn't be measured from the skull alone.

A Harvard professor, Oliver Wendless Holmes, compares the skull to a safe containing contents you simply cannot see from the outside. He said, "The walls of the head are double, with a great air-chamber between them, over the smallest and most closely crowded 'organs.' Can you tell how much money there is in a safe, which also has thick double walls, by kneading its knobs with your fingers? So when a man fumbles about my forehead, and talks about the organs of Individuality, Size, etc., I trust him as much as I should if he felt the outside of my strongbox and told me that there was a five-dollar or a ten-dollar bill under this or that particular rivet."

So it doesn’t seem like you can use phrenology to determine your or your crush’s personality – even if it did, asking him if you could feel up his cranium is a bizarre request.

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