What is Personality?

• • “the dynamic organization within the individual of those psychophysical systems that determine his unique adjustments to his environment”
  • he had changed the last phrase to read “that determine his characteristic behavior and thought”

  Personality
• In his later definition of Personality, Allport conveyed the idea that behavior is expressive as well as adaptive.
• • an integration or interrelatedness of the various aspects of personality.
  • Personality is organized and patterned
  • is always subject to change: hence, the qualifier “dynamic.”
  • Personality is not a static organization; it is constantly growing or changing.

  Dynamic organization
• • emphasizes the importance of both the psychological and the physical aspects of personality

  Psychophysical
• • Another word in the definition that implies action
  • “personality is something and does something”
  • In other words, personality is not merely the mask we wear, nor is it simply behavior. It refers to the individual behind the facade, the person behind the action.

  Determine
• • Allport wished to imply “individual” or “unique.”
  • originally meant a marking or engraving
  • marked with a unique engraving, a stamp or marking, that no one else can duplicate.

  Characteristic
• • simply refer to anything the person does
  • They are omnibus terms meant to include internal behaviors (T) as well as external behaviors such as words and actions.

  Behavior and Thought
• Allport’s comprehensive definition of personality suggests that human beings are both product and process; people have some organized structure while, at the same time, they possess the capability of change.
• In summary, personality is both physical and psychological; it includes both overt behaviors and covert thoughts; it not only is something, but it does something. Personality is both substance and change, both product and process, both structure and growth.