Does it ever click your mind when you see people around you with certain disorders act differently, and so do their body shape differs? We keep wondering, right? Experimenters are evident that illnesses are not only caused by psychological, biological, or social-cultural factors but also depend on body physique. This is why we can connect some disorders with their body physique. How does it sound to you? Furthermore, who conveyed this introspection? Well, to know more, let us read the latter part.
Ernst Kretschmer (8 October 1888 – 8 February 1964) was a German psychiatrist who studied the human constitution and inaugurated a typology. Kretschmer was the first to illustrate the persistent vegetative state, also called Kretschmer's syndrome. Another medical phrase coined after him is Kretschmer's acute paranoia. This type has the merit of singling out "a type of paranoia that was unknown" before Kretschmer and which "does not resemble the stereotypical image of sthenic paranoia." Furthermore, between 1915 and 1921, he expanded a differential diagnosis between schizophrenia and manic depression. Kretschmer explored philosophy and medicine at the university of Tubingen, staying there as an associate in the neurologic clinic after finishing his studies in 1913. The following year, he published his dissertation on manic-depressive delusions, anticipating his later work in mental illness.
Kretschmer is also known for formulating (in the first quarter of the 20th century) a classification system that can be seen as one of the earliest exponents of a constitutional (the complete plan or philosophy on which something is constructed) strategy. His theory is stated below in a concise but detailed manner.
Kretschmer associated each of his body types with certain personality traits and, in a more extreme form, with other mental disorders. He composed that there is only a fragile relation between schizophrenia and pyknic body type on the one hand and between Circulars (with the tendency to circular kind of manic-depressive psychosis) and aesthetics, athletics, and dysplastic on the other. Among people with schizophrenia, the authentic–athletic types are very predominant. Kretschmer believed that pyknic persons were cordial, interpersonally dependent, and gregarious. In a more extreme version of these traits, this would mean, for instance, that the obese are predisposed toward manic-depressive illness. Thin types were associated with introversion and spinelessness, a milder form of the negative signs of people with withdrawn schizophrenia. However, the idea of the association of body types with personality traits is no longer significant in personality psychology.
Kretschmer's method of classifying personality was based on bringing in arthroscopic observations of the individuals. He also related the physique with the traits, including the person's temperament. This scenario is still very much popular with psychologists who aim to study behavior and body composition. Nevertheless, other scientists who attempted to use his method found it very problematic to apply because the plurality of the people did not serve the characteristics of any of these groups, yet they are scientifically evident. Let us give a glance at these four types of personality by Kretschmer.
Kretschmer's pyknic type is illustrated by the peripheral growth of the body cavities (breast, head, and stomach) and a tendency to distribute fat about the torso. They also have a more refined construction of the motor instrument (limbs and shoulders). The pyknic type tends undoubtedly to an exterior of fat. The obesity of the pyknic is limited within intermediate limits for the most part. The female pyknics' covering of fat is more strongly focused over the hips and chest. These are people who are harsh and have a round body. They will have the character traits of extroverts. These people are more inclined to suffer from a mental disorder called Manic Depressive Psychosis.
Kretschmer's male athletic class is portrayed by the strong growth of the muscular, skeleton, and skin. The athletic type among females conforms to the male form. A particular characteristic variation is the development of fat; it is rich but not electively abnormal, as with pyknics. These people will have muscular bodies and are more vibrant and assertive. Also, they will be strong enough, specified, adventurous, and proportional. They are identical to ambiverts and are more prone to suffer from MDP.
In Kretschmer's words, the crucial factor of the asthenic type is "a deficiency in thickness combined with an average lessened length." The weakness is present in all body parts: muscle, bone, face, trunk, extremities, and all the tissues (skin, bone, fat, muscles, and vessel system). The moderate weight and the other body measurements are below the general value for males. These people were long, slim, and linear, and their bodies lacked fat and muscles. These people seem to lack body power and, thus, can be considered fragile.
This type of physique does not show uniformity and hence, is disproportional. These people will have an unproportionate body and do not be owned by any of the three types mentioned above. This disproportion is due to hormonal imbalance, and their behavior and nature are also imbalanced.
Hence, Kretschmer divided the temperaments into two "constitutional groups": schizothymic, which contains a "psychasthenia proportion" between sensitive and cold poles, and cyclothymes which include a "diathetic" proportion between raised happy and sad. Indeed, an excellent classification was given by Kretschmer, which not only describes body physique but also explains its relation with mental illness.
Physics
Biology
Chemistry
Mathematics
Economics
Psychology
Environmental Science
Social Studies
Fashion Studies
English