Sheldon’s constitutional theory of personality

Sheldon’s constitutional theory of personality

the theory that every person possesses some degree of three primary temperamental components that relate to three basic body builds (somatotypes), measured on a 7-point scale. The three body types—ectomorph, endomorph, and mesomorph—are correlated with the three components of temperament: cerebrotonia, viscerotonia, and somatotonia. Constitution provides a substructure, but nutrition and early experiences also influence the physique and temperament, respectively. [William H. Sheldon (1899–1970), U.S. psychologist]