Gordon Allport’s Personality of the Individual Theory

Morphogenic Science

studying one individual as opposed to attempting to make a theory that is applicable to the general population (nomothetic)

Personality

The dynamic organization within the individual of those psychophysical systems that determine his characteristic behavior and thought

Dynamic Organization

personality is organized and patterned. It is not static; it is constantly growing

Psychophysical

emphasizes the importance of both the psychological and the physical aspects of personality

Determine

personality is something and does something

Characteristic

a unique engraving, a stamp or marking, that no one else can duplicate

Behavior and Thought

refers to anything the person does

Common traits

general characteristics held in common by many people

personal disposition

a generalized neuropsychic structure (peculiar to the individual), with the capacity to render many stimuli functionally equivalent, and to initiate and guide consistent (equivalent) forms of adaptive and stylistic behavior

Cardinal Dispositions

Eminent characteristic or ruling passion that dominates a person's life

Central Dispositions

include the 5 to 10 most outstanding characteristics around which a person's life focuses

Secondary Dispositions

Less conspicuous traits, occurring with some regularity.

Motivational Dispositions

Strongly felt traits that drive actions and are based on basic needs (e.g., hunger).

Stylistic Dispositions

referred to personal dispositions that are less intensely experienced even though these dispositions possess some motivational power

Proprium

refer to those behaviors and characteristics that people regard as warm, central, and important in their lives

Central Traits

traits that people see as "warm" and personally important in their lives.

Nonpropriate Behaviors (Peripheral Traits)

Characteristics that do not contribute to core identity but still influence behavior.

Peripheral Motives

are those that reduce a need

Propriate Strivings

seek to maintain tension and disequilibrium

Values

Deeply held values are part of a person's proprium, shaping their sense of self.

Reactive Behavior

Psychodynamic perspective assumes that people just want to maintain homeostasis and no room for growth

Proactive Behavior

It must view people as consciously acting on their environment in a manner that permits growth toward psychological health.

functional autonomy

any acquired system of motivation in which the tensions involved are not of the same kind as the antecedent tensions from which the acquired system developed

Perseverative Functional Autonomy

we do things that previously have a physiological effect on us but eventually we just do it just for fun.

Propriate Functional Autonomy

refers to those self sustaining motives that are related to the proprium

Nomothetic Approach

seeking general laws

Idiographic Approach

refers to that which is peculiar to the single case

morphogenic

refers to patterned properties of the whole organism and allows for intraperson comparisons

Intrinsic Orientation

Deeply personal, sees religion as an end in itself, harmonizing religious beliefs with one's whole life.

Extrinsic Orientation

Utilitarian, uses religion for personal gains (e.g., comfort, social status).