Stephen, Lindsay, Chuck, Jim, and others: Thanks for your responses to my questions about the temperament model. There are a lot of self-help personality tests out there that the uneducated consumer picks up at Barnes and Noble and assumes that it is psychologically-sound. There is another personality test in the Christian world that divides people's personalities into categories such as Lion, Otter, Beaver, and Golden Retriever. These books, including the one the LaHaye wrote about Hippocrate's (or Galen's) model, are interesting to read but don't seem to be based upon compelling research. I have found that some of my Christian students hold up these types of self-help personality models as equivalent to those tests that are based upon much more extensive psychometric evaluation. After all, if it was written by a Christian author then it must be true!
I appreciate Stephen's comment about letting students write papers on these topics as long as the papers are based upon a thorough review of the psychological literature. There seems to be no end of self-help books and websites that address these models (such as the psychoheresy.com website that Chuck mentioned), but my concern is that there is no psychological literature on some of these topics. I wasn't interested so much in research investigating correlations between these traits and actual body humors, but was more curious about any factor-analytic, reliability, or validity studies on Hippocrate's/Galen's model. I've conducted a quick search and didn't find anything, but wanted to make sure I wasn't overlooking anything since this wasn't my area of expertise. Thanks again for your help. ______________________________________________ Roderick D. Hetzel, Ph.D. Department of Psychology LeTourneau University Post Office Box 7001 2100 South Mobberly Avenue Longview, Texas 75607-7001 Office: Education Center 218 Phone: 903-233-3893 Fax: 903-233-3851 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Homepage: http://www.letu.edu/people/rodhetzel > -----Original Message----- > From: Chuck Huff [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: Friday, December 06, 2002 10:26 AM > To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences > Subject: Re: What do you get when you cross a cantelope with Lassie? > > > I don't know of any work on humors, but there was for some time > personality research on "body type" (mesomorph, ectomorph and > endomorph) and personality done by Sheldon. This is one a series of > "type" theories, none of which have good records. If you student > could find a critical review of that, they would see the sort of > evidence people seek for validity of personality scales. > > You might look at: > > http://www.psychoheresy-aware.org/lahaye74.html > > as something would at least give them a start. This is another > fundamentalist christian critique, but it does at least begin to ask > what the evidence is that LaHaye can present, and look for scientific > support. An article like this might fly under their defenses (since > it is overtly "christian") and get them to start asking what > scientific evidence might be useful > > -Chuck Huff > St. Olaf College > > > >Part of the answer to your question resides in the specific > assigment > >for your students. I hope this helps. I am willing to discuss your > >question further if necessary. > > > >Cheers, > >lindsay > > > >* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * > >Lindsay J. Holland, Ph.D. > >Visiting Assistant Professor > >Department of Psychology > >Whitman College > >345 Boyer Avenue > >Walla Walla, WA 99362 > > > >phone: 509.526.4789 > >fax: 509.527.5026 > >email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > >------------------------------------------------- > >This mail sent through IMP: webmail.whitman.edu > > > > > > > >Quoting Stephen Black <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: > > > >> On 6 Dec 2002, Hetzel, Rod wrote: > >> > >> >. I've had a number of students > >> > who have wanted to write papers on Hippocrate's model of > >> temperaments > > > > (sanguine, melancholic, phlegmatic, and choleric). > This would be > > an > >> > appropriate topic for a History of Psychology class, but these > >> students > have wanted to write papers that view this > approach as a > >> contemporary > model that is viable and useful for understanding > >> personality. I think > >> > they are likely influenced by popluar books in the > Christian world > >> > <snip> As far as I can tell, however, the only groups > of people that > >> > seem to value this approach are Christians and astrologers. My > >> > understanding is that this approach has been rightfully > relegated to > >> > the history of psychology because there has never been > any compelling > >> > empirical support for this model. > >> > > >> > What is the current thinking among personality > psychologists about > >> > this model of temperaments? > >> > >> I can't answer that although I'm looking forward to the > response > >> from others. But I'd suggest that it's their paper, and > let them go > >> ahead. But I'd warn them that you'd expect an appropriately > >> scientific and scholarly review of the literature which > might include > >> review of Christian and astrological claims, but also > (turning your > >> question back to the students) "current thinking [and > evidence] among > >> personality psychologists". > >> > >> They might just learn something in the process. > >> > >> Stephen > >> ______________________________________________________________ > >> Stephen L. Black, Ph.D. tel: (819) 822-9600 ext 2470 > >> Department of Psychology fax: (819) 822-9661 > >> Bishop's University e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >> Lennoxville, QC J1M 1Z7 > >> Canada > >> > >> Dept web page at http://www.ubishops.ca/ccc/div/soc/psy > >> TIPS discussion list for psychology teachers at > >> http://www.frostburg.edu/dept/psyc/southerly/tips > >> _________________________________________________________ > >> > >> > >> --- > >> You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To > >> unsubscribe send a blank email to > >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >> > > > > > >------------------------------------------------- > >This mail sent through IMP: webmail.whitman.edu > > > >--- > >You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >To unsubscribe send a blank email to > >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > --- > You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > To unsubscribe send a blank email to > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
