Fiveable
Fiveable

Phrenology

Definition

Phrenology is a pseudoscience which claims that personality traits can be determined by examining bumps on a person's skull.

Analogy

Consider phrenology like reading tea leaves; both claim they can predict something complex (like personality or future) based on something simple (like bumps on the head or tea leaf patterns), but neither has scientific backing.

Related terms

Pseudoscience: A collection of beliefs or practices mistakenly regarded as being based on scientific method.

Physiognomy: The assessment of a person's character or personality from their outer appearance, especially the face.

Neuroscience: The scientific study of the nervous system, including understanding brain function and structure.

"Phrenology" appears in:

collegeable - rocket pep

Are you a college student?

  • Study guides for the entire semester

  • 200k practice questions

  • Glossary of 50k key terms - memorize important vocab



© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.

AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.


© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.

AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.