Final answer:
Physiognomy examines facial features to gauge a person's character, while phrenology, now discredited as a pseudoscience, claimed that skull shape indicated personality traits and mental abilities. Franz Gall was central to phrenology's development, which despite its inaccuracy, contributed to later understanding of brain function differentiation.
Step-by-step explanation:
Physiognomy studies a person’s facial features, whereas phrenology studies a person’s skull in order to understand their personality. Derived from the Greek words for “mind” and “nature”, physiognomy is based on the belief that a person’s character can be discerned from their outer appearance, particularly the face.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, pseudosciences like phrenology garnered interest as methods for determining personal characteristics. In 1780, Franz Gall, a German physician, introduced phrenology by claiming that the shape and bumps of a person’s skull could reveal their mental faculties and character traits. Despite its initial popularity, phrenology lacked empirical support and was soon discredited, but it did pave the way for later studies in neuroscience by suggesting that different areas of the brain are responsible for different functions.
Today, we recognize that the size and shape of the cranium do not determine one’s personality or mental abilities. Modern neuroscience and psychology rely on rigorous scientific research rather than the pseudoscientific methods of phrenology and physiognomy. Still, the historical significance of these fields gives us insight into past societies’ attempts to understand human behavior and identity.