Explanation of the Constitutional Theory

Explanation of the Constitutional Theory

Abstract

The topic of this paper is the Constitutional Theory, created by William Sheldon. In order to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the subject, we will break down and discuss the history, development, uses, criticisms, and relevance of this theory. Sheldon, who was a Doctor in the field of psychology, obtained his degree from the University of Chicago. He then attended the University of Oregon Medical School, where he became a professor of medicine. He also became the director of the constitution clinic. This clinic examined the correlations between physical characteristics and disease. He wanted to research the different body types amongst people and see if there was any correlation between body types and personalities. During that time, body type was not something that was commonly documented or observed. So, in an attempt to gain a large sampling, he was able to observe 4,000 college students who consented to his research. Thus, three extremes came from this, being Endomorphic which is Fat/Round, Mesomorphic which is Muscular/Square, and Ectomorphic which is Thin/Linear. The Constitutional theory is not used often in the criminal justice field due to its inconsistencies and lack of evidence, but it is used in the nutritional and physical fitness fields in order to provide a deeper understanding of people’s bodies and their needs.

Explanation of the Constitutional Theory

The topic of this paper is the Constitutional Theory, created by William Sheldon. In order to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the subject, we will break down and discuss the history, development, uses, criticisms, and relevance of this theory.

History of the Constitutional Theory

In order to fully understand the Constitutional Theory, we must look at the history and how this theory came to be. It was developed by a gentleman named William Sheldon who was a Doctor in the field of psychology, which he obtained from the University of Chicago. He then attended the University of Oregon Medical School, where he became a professor of medicine. He also became the director of the constitution clinic. This clinic examined the correlations between physical characteristics and disease. (Britannica.com). He also became the director of research at the Biological Humanics Foundation in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He was a very well educated and respected within the academic community. He was influenced by William James who was an American philosopher and psychologist. With this influence, Sheldon developed the belief that the psychological makeup of humans had biological foundations.

He wrote two books that outlined his theory called The Varieties of Human Physique (1940) and The Varieties of Temperament (1942). In these two books he divides people into three different types: Endomorphs, which are people who are rounded and soft. They have a “viscertonic” personality, which means that they are relaxed, comfortable, and extroverted. Mesomorphs are people who are square and muscular. The typical personality associated with them is “somotonic”, meaning that they are potentially active, dynamic, assertive, and aggressive. Ectomorphs are people who are thin and fine-boned. They have a “cerbrotonic” personality meaning that they are introverted, thoughtful, inhibited, and sensitive. He calls these three types Somatotypes. He believed that by examining a persons’ physical characteristics, you could potentially predict the signs of a criminal or other attribute a person may have.

Development of the Constitutional Theory

In the beginning development of his theory, Sheldon needed to research the different body types amongst people. During that time, body type was not something that was commonly documented or observed. So, in an attempt to gain a large sampling, he was able to observe 4,000 college students who consented to his research. He would photograph each student from the front, side, and back. He made an effort to ensure each photo was consistent in every way by using the same camera, lighting, lens, and camera distance, all within the same environment. He did all this to ensure that each photo would be uniform. He did not want to have his or anyone else’s ideas imposed on the data, but rather allow the data to explain itself. To do this, he examined the photos and sorted them into the different extremes as they arose. Thus, three extremes came from this, being Fat/Round, Muscular/Square, and Thin/Linear. As Sheldon will mention, not everyone falls into each of these categories, but rather, can me a mix of multiple.

In Sheldon’s book “The Varieties of Human Physique” he explains further into his three categories and why he chose them instead of more or less. This how he explains it: “To those who may wonder why three extremes were chosen, it should be pointed out that in a large random sample it is precisely three extremes which stand out.  Repeated combing of the population for what might reasonably be called a fourth basic type of extreme variation simply yielded nothing at all. We were not committed to find three first-order variants – and only three. It is indeed, fair to state that we rather expected to find more than three.  We were initially reluctant to accept the conclusion that only three fundamentally different extremes can be isolated” (Sheldon, 1970).

        He went on to name these three extremes based off his knowledge of embryology. Apparently, one of the most important moments in embryonic development occurs three weeks from fertilization and that is when the embryo splits into three distinct layers: The Ectoderm, which is the outer layer, develops skin, nerves, brain, and sensory organs. The Mesoderm, is the middle layer. It develops the muscle and bone. And lastly, the Endoderm is the inner layer. It develops the lining of the stomach, intestines, and other digestive organs. (“What is Sheldon’s Definition”, 2017). Not every embryo develops in the same way or at the same pace. Each layer works individually, developing at different speeds. Thus, the human, when born, has his own distinct set of characteristics. Having this understanding, he saw a relationship between the embryo development and these extremes, so he decided to name these extremes accordingly. He called the first one the Endomorphic body type, which is soft, round shaped, sociable, and relaxed. The next is Mesomorphic, which is a hard, muscular body, square shaped, competitive, and assertive. The third is Ectomorphic, which is thin, flat-chested, self-conscious, large brain, and introverted. Somatotype is the word Sheldon coined to explain these types of extremes. In his book, Atlas of Men (1954), this is how he defines Somatotype: “A quantification of the three primary components determining the morphological structure of an individual. Expressed as a series of three numerals, the first referring to endomorphy, the second to mesomorphy, the third to ectomorphy” (Sheldon, 1954, p. 337).