Final answer:
Phrenology, started by Franz Gall, attempted to link skull characteristics with personality traits, but was discredited as a pseudoscience. Gall's work is noted for introducing the concept of specialized brain functions, important for later scientific advances in psychology and neuroscience.
Step-by-step explanation:
Phrenology, the study of skull shapes as a means to understand personality traits and mental abilities, was founded by Franz Gall in the late 18th century. He suggested that the various bumps on a person's cranium corresponded to different characteristics and abilities, such as friendliness, pride, or linguistic skills. This approach was believed to solve completely the understanding of a person's character through physical examination of the skull.
Although initially gaining popular acceptance in Europe and the United States, phrenology was eventually discredited due to lack of empirical evidence and is now considered a pseudoscience. However, the significance of Gall's work lies in his contribution to the idea that different parts of the brain are responsible for different functions, which laid the groundwork for modern neuroscience and psychology despite the pseudoscientific aspects of his methods.