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Revision as of 18:25, 4 December 2011 by De728631 (talk | contribs) (Undid revision 464074084 by Editor75439 (talk) rv dubious deletions)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)| William Herbert Sheldon | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 19, 1898 Warwick, Rhode Island |
| Died | September 17, 1977 Cambridge, Massachusetts |
| Occupation(s) | Psychologist and Eugenicist |
William Herbert Sheldon (November 19, 1898 – September 17, 1977) was an American psychologist and numismatist. His major focus—an effort to correlate intelligence with physical appearance—enjoyed a vogue from the 1940s through the 1960s. However, his work is generally dismissed by modern researchers.
Biography
Born in Warwick, Rhode Island, in 1898, William Sheldon distinguished himself in two fields.
In psychology, he developed a new version of somatotypology by classifying people into three somatotypes—endomorphic, mesomorphic, and ectomorphic—based on many photographs and measurements of nude figures (mainly Ivy League students).
In numismatics, he authored Early American Cents and later revised that work within Penny Whimsy (these were the most exhaustive catalogues of the varieties of early American large cents at that time). The Sheldon variety list for Early American Cents is still in use today. He also developed the "Sheldon scale" that graded coins on a numeric basis from 1 to 70, which is still standard among American numismatists.
William Herbert Sheldon died in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1977.
Scientific heritage
Sheldon found a strong correlation between a person's physique and behavior, a field of study called "constitutional psychology." However, his work has been called into question.
Publications
- Sheldon, William H. ♦ The Varieties of Human Physique (An Introduction to Constitutional Psychology) ♦ Harper & Brothers, 1940
- Sheldon, William H. ♦ The Varieties of Temperament (A Psychology of Constitutional Differences) Harper & Brothers, 1942
- Sheldon, William H. ♦ Atlas of Men ♦ Harper and Brothers, 1954
- Sheldon, William H. ♦ Early American Cents, 1793–1814 ♦ Harper & Brothers, 1949
- Sheldon, William H. ♦ Penny Whimsy ♦ Harper & Row, 1958
See also
References
- "Nude Photos Are Sealed At Smithsonian". New York Times. January 21, 1995. Retrieved December 1, 2011.
- ^ Richard N. Walker. "W. H. Sheldon" (obituary). Psychiatric Bulletin 1978, 2:104-105.
- Grading Coins
- "William H. Sheldon, 78. Correlated Physiques and Traits of Behavior. Headed Research Center". The New York Times. September 18, 1977.
Dr. William Herbert Sheldon, a psychologist and researcher in correlating human biology and physique with social behavior, died Friday of a heart ailment at his office at the Biological Humanics Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He was 78 years old.
{{cite news}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - Roeckelein, Jon E. Dictionary of Theories, Laws, and Concepts in Psychology Greenwood Publishing Group, 1998, p. 428
Further reading
- Gardner, Theories of personality (John Wiley & Sons Inc, 1959), pp. 336-377 (Sheldon's constitutional psychology.) - includes biography of Sheldon
- The Great Ivy Leage Nude Posture Photo Scandal, New York Times January 15, 1995 - Discusses the rise and fall of Sheldon's somatotypes
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