The Varieties of Parascience

The parasciences are too many in number to describe in detail, but a brief outline of a few of them can serve as an illustration of the ways man has sought to unlock the secrets of nature and the universe. Phrenology is the one endeavor that is closest to modern psychology.

Phrenology Phrenology began with the following series of assumptions; (1) the brain is the physical organ of the mind, (2) the shape and size of the various parts of the growing brain represent the over- or underdevelopment of personality traits, and (3) the bumps and hollows of the skull reflect the shape of the brain it contains. It followed logically that the phrenologist need only measure head bumps to determine the shape of the brain and diagnose the personality of his patient.

Phrenology began with Franz Joseph Fall's (1758-1828) curiosity about a possible relationship between the physical characteristics and psychological qualities of man. Gall concluded that the mind was composed of 37 powers or propensities (firmness, reverence, acquisitiveness, and combativeness, for example). He theoretically located these powers in specific parts of the brain. The physician Johann Kaspar Spurzheim (1776-1832) modified some of Gall's theories and made a number of further observations.

By 1840 phrenology had become a popular craze offering a quick, "scientific", inexpensive way to get vocational guidance and assure happiness. There were phrenology parlors scattered across the country, and traveling phrenologists crisscrossed the nation on lecture tours. Phrenology had a reasonable ring to it in that day and age, even though today's scientists reject the notion that the brain is like a muscle that becomes weak or strong depending on how much it is exercised.

Graphology The practitioners of graphology--the analysis of handwriting-have made astonishing claims about its uses. One modern advocate maintained: "I am convinced that in the hands of a skilled practitioner, graphology can assist corporations in the selection of productive and reliable employees, can aid therapists in evaluating their patients, and can help youths choose their careers by pinpointing talents and personality traits. I believe that graphology could aid in difficult medical diagnoses" (Anthony, 1967, p. 30).

Anthony insists that graphology is a legitimate subdiscipline of psychology, but few psychologists would agree with him. And, few psychologists study handwriting analysis enough to do effective research on its claims. What little psychological research has been accomplished has not been encouraging to the graphologists. In one appraisal of a series of handwriting studies, McNeil and Blum (1952) revealed a number of weaknesses. Some of these were: "failure to consider consistency of an individual's handwriting and reliability of raters' judgments; lack of specificity of criteria used to evaluate handwriting; inadequacies of the global matching method; and dubious character of some of the personality variables" (p. 483).

Psychological research in graphology continues to languish today, but popular fascination has not diminished accordingly. "The 'easy art' of handwriting analysis has answered the needs of the drawing room psychologizers who seek a dramatic new path to personal popularity" (Anthony, 1963, p. 76).

(Source : McNeil, E. B. The Psychology of Human Being. New York: Canfield Press, 1974.)

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