ALLPORT

• Dispositional/Trait Theories


  One of the 4 perspectives in personality theory
• 4 Perspectives in Personality Theory

  • Psychodynamic Perspective
  • Humanistic Perspective
  • Trait Perspective
  • Behaviorist Perspective
• Psychodynamic Perspective

  • Had its beginnings in the work of Sigmund Freud and still exists today
  • Focuses on the role of the unconscious mind in the development of personality
• Humanistic Perspective


  • First arose as a reaction against the psychoanalytic and behaviorist perspectives
  • Focuses on the role of each person's conscious life experiences and choices in personality development
• Trait Perspective


  • Differs from the other three in its basic goals
  • The three all seek to explain the process that causes personality to form into its unique characteristics, whereas trait theorists are more concerned with the end result---the characteristics themselves
• Behaviorist Perspective


  • Based on the theories of learning
  • Focuses on the effect of the environment on behavior
• Morphogenic science


  Methods that gather data on a single individual
• Nomothetic methods


  Methods that gather data on groups of people
• Allport advocated an eclectic approach to theory building
• Allport accepted some of the contributions of Freud, Maslow, Rogers, Eysenck, Skinner, and others
• Allport believes that no one of these theorists is able to adequately explain the total growing and unique personality
• Personality


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


  Healthy adults are generally aware of what they are doing and their reasons for doing it
• Allport did not ignore the existence or even the importance of unconscious processes
• Characteristics of a psychologically healthy person

  • Extension of the sense of self
  • Warm relating of self to others
  • Emotional security or self-acceptance
  • Realistic perception of their environment
  • Insight and Humor
  • Unifying philosophy of life – purpose in life
• Extension of the sense of self

  Mature people continually seek to identify with and participate in events outside themselves
• Warm relating of self to others


  They have the capacity to love others in an intimate and compassionate manner
• Emotional security or self-acceptance


  Mature individuals accept themselves for what they are, and they possess emotional poise
• Realistic perception of the environment


  They do not live in a fantasy world or bend reality to fit their own wishes
• Insight and humor


  Mature people know themselves and have a non-hostile sense of humor
• Unifying philosophy of life

  Healthy people have a clear view of the purpose of life
• Personal dispositions


  Generalized neuropsychic structures peculiar to the individual, with the capacity to render many stimuli functionally equivalent, and to initiate and guide consistent forms of adaptive and stylistic behavior
• Levels of personal dispositions

  • Cardinal
  • Central
  • Secondary
• Cardinal dispositions


  They are so obvious that they cannot be hidden
• Central dispositions


  The 5 to 10 most outstanding characteristics round which a person's life focuses
• Secondary dispositions


  Less conspicuous but far greater in number than central dispositions
• Motivational dispositions


  Intensely experienced dispositions that receive their motivation from basic needs and drives
• Stylistic dispositions


  Personal dispositions that are less intensely experienced and guide action
• Proprium


  Those behaviors and characteristics that people regard as warm, central, and important in their lives
• Allport believed that most people are motivated by present drives rather than by past events and are aware of what they are doing and have some understanding of why they are doing it
• The mature person is motivated to acquire new systems of motivation that are functionally independent from their original motives
• Allport's concept of humanity

  • Free choice
  • Optimism
  • Teleology
  • Conscious
  • Social influences
  • Uniqueness