Theories of Personality - Gordon Allport

Gordon Allport
(1897 - 1967)

-First Native American psychologist
-Pyschophysical (interaction with body+mind)
-Met Freud on his therapy couch and Freud thought he was going deeply into the unconscious when Allport was just trying to tell a story to impress Freud

What is Allport's definition of personality?

"Personality is the dynamic organization within the individual of those psychophysical systems that determine his characteristic behavior and thought."

Proprium

-Full understanding of our personality when we get older
-All aspects of a person that makes them unique
-Organizes parts of the personality

List the 8 stages of development to reach proprium.

1. Bodily Sense
2. Self-identity
3. Self-esteem
4. Self-extension
5. Self-image (conscience)
6. Rational Agent (rational coper)
7. Propriate Striving need induction vs. need reduction
8. The Knower (self as knower)

Bodily Sense

Have to know our body and be familiar with

Self-identity

1st sign of self when they recognize their face in the mirror and/or say their own name

Self-Esteem

How you feel about yourself

Self-Extension

-Occurs 4 years old
-Start being possessive and protective of their objects, extending yourself as objects

Self-Image
(Conscience)

-Occurs around 4-5 years old
-This is when they learn what's good and bad

Rational Agent
(Rational Coper)

-Occurs at 6 years old
-Resolving problems with their own thoughts like a child getting a chair to get food

Propriate Striving
(Need Induction vs. Need Reduction)

-Goal oriented
-Need reduction = don't have goals which is what children, animals, and unhealthy people don't have

The Knower
(Self as Knower)

Aware of the 7 other stages

What is Allport's concept of trait?

-Causes similar behaviors in similar environments (explains consistency of behavior)
-Combination of innate needs and learning
-No two people have the same combinations of traits
-Traits both initiate and guide behavior

What are the criterias of a trait?

Traits depend on:
-Frequency
-Range of situations
-Intensity

Traits are not attitudes or habits but habits and attitudes make traits

Individual Traits

-Individual traits: pattern of traits possessed by only one person
-Idiographic = of or relating to the study or discovery of particular scientific facts and processes, as distinct from general laws.

Common Traits

Possessed by many people, each to a varying extent
-Nomothetic = of or relating to the study or discovery of general scientific laws.
-This allows standardized personality testing

Name the 3 types of traits.

-Cardinal Disposition
-Central Disposition
-Secondary Disposition

Cardinal Dispositions

-Influence almost everything individual does, pervasive
-Observable in only a small number of people

Central Dispositions

-Major organizational traits
-One of the half dozen or so traits that best describe a particular person

Secondary Dispositions

Similar to habits or attitudes but more general, idiosyncrasies

Functional Autonomy

-Past motives change within time
-What engaged you to do something change as you get older like being forced to play the violin to please your parents but soon begin to like and want to become a professional violinst

Describe and name the 2 types of functional autonomy.

Perseverative: repetitious activities that once served a purpose but no longer do

Propriate: a person's goals, values, interests
-Principle of organizing energy level
-Principle of mastery and competence
-Principle of propriate patterning

Principle of Organizing Energy Level

Basic needs are satisfied so you now have more energy for other needs

Principle of Mastery and Competence

Innate need to be better and better at what we're interested in like trying to prefect making pasta

Principle of Propriate Patterning

-Based on your personality and body
-Wouldn't fit if someone want to go to army but their personality doesn't match with it

List 6 Characteristics of a Normal, Mature Adult.

-Extension of the Sense of Self
-Warm Human Interaction
-Emotional Security (Self-Acceptance)
-Realistic Perception, Skills and Assignments
-Self-Objectification: Insight and Humor n Unifying Philosophy of Life

Prejudice

-Prejudging a group without actual experience with group, often emotional
-Overcategorizing -> stereotypes

Humans have natural tendency to:
-Prejudge others
-Generalize
-Form in-groups