Critique of Sheldon's Varieties of Delinquent Youth

Abstract

S HELDON 'S Varieties of Delinquent Youth1 is the third of his books in constitutional psychology. The two basic principles of his constitutional psychology are that behavior is a function of structure, that is, of the organism, and that the organism and its behavior can best be described in quantitative terms. His previous studies resulted in the conclusions that somatotypes may be classified as endomorphic, mesomorphic, and ectomorphic, that with these are closely correlated three temperamental types-viscerotonia, somatotonia, and cerebrotonia-and also three psychiatric types-manic, paranoid, and heboid. Each of these-somatotype, temperamental type, and psychiatric type-is a continuum with quantitative variations of the three components, which are described by three quantitative indexes. The hypothesis implicit in Sheldon's writings is that all variations in personality and behavior will be found to be related to variations in these basic indexes. Sheldon shouts dogmatically that this constitutional psychology is the only way to study personality and behavior and that it is the Messiah for a world rushing into societal chaos. This first report of constitutional psychology in action is presented to the public presumably as a demonstration of its value. But constitutional psychology will be a false Messiah if its saving power