Which pseudoscientific theory claimed that personality traits and abilities could be determined by bumps on the skull?

Which pseudoscientific theory claimed that personality traits and abilities could be determined by bumps on the skull?

• A. Graphology
• B. Phrenology
• C. Astrology
• D. Numerology

Answer: (B)

Phrenology is the belief that personality traits and abilities are determined by bumps on the skull. Originating in the 19th century, it claimed that the skull overlying specific brain regions would reveal different faculties, so you could read a person’s character by feeling the skull’s contours. This is why it’s considered pseudoscience: the supposed links between skull bumps and traits are unreliable, and modern neuroscience shows brain functions don’t map onto the skull’s surface in the simplistic way phrenology proposed. The other options—graphology (handwriting analysis), astrology (celestial influences), and numerology (numbers)—involve different methods and do not claim that skull bumps determine personality, which is why phrenology is the match for the description.

Phrenology is the belief that personality traits and abilities are determined by bumps on the skull. Originating in the 19th century, it claimed that the skull overlying specific brain regions would reveal different faculties, so you could read a person’s character by feeling the skull’s contours. This is why it’s considered pseudoscience: the supposed links between skull bumps and traits are unreliable, and modern neuroscience shows brain functions don’t map onto the skull’s surface in the simplistic way phrenology proposed. The other options—graphology (handwriting analysis), astrology (celestial influences), and numerology (numbers)—involve different methods and do not claim that skull bumps determine personality, which is why phrenology is the match for the description.