Spinal Patterns vs. Personality

Study Investigates Possible Correlations

By Editorial Staff

The International Journal of Psychosomatics published in its September 1992 issue a paper on "Spinal Patterns As Predictors of Personality Profiles: A Pilot Study," authored by Ted Koren, D.C. and Eric Rosenwinkel, B.A. Dr. Koren indicated it was the first paper to investigate "the relationship between spinal patterns and personality" to be published by an interdisciplinary medical journal.

In addition, Dr. Koren presented a workshop in Paris, France Sept. 4, 1992 on this subject before the International Psychosomatics Institute, another first for chiropractic.

Below is printed the paper's abstract:

"Spinal Patterns As Predictors of Personality Profiles: A Pilot Study"

Abstract

The present pilot study is part of an ongoing effort to further the investigation of the relationship between spinal patterns and personality. The present pilot study seeks to identify likely spinal patterns of certain personality profiles and asks whether changing posture can affect personality, and/or can emotional states alter posture?

Forty patients of a private chiropractic practice participated in the study. Four radiographs (x-rays) of each subject were taken and each subject completed the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). Measurements obtained from the radiographs and the MMPI data were used to derive general linear models of the predictability of the MMPI in terms of the spinal/postural measures.

Several models were highly significant and preliminary support for the authors' hypothesis that spinal patterns are likely to be predictive of personality profiles is suggested. Support for previous research is offered and directions for future research are discussed.

Editor's Note: Tedd Koren, D.C. is in private practice in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and is president of Koren Publications, Inc. Eric Rosenwinkel, B.A. is in a graduate psychology program at Indiana University in Bloomington.