Gordan Allport.pptx

Gordan AlLport theory of personality

1. Gordan willard Allport outline Biography Basic human nature Structure of personality Criteria of mature personality Functional autonomy Personality development

2. Biography Born 11 November 1897 in Montezuma Indiana, USA He received his MA and PHD in 1922 from Harvard university He was the first psychologist who gave through the concept of traits He view trait as the most appropriate way of studying and describing personality His dissertation was An experimental study of trait of personality He taught at H arvard university until his death on October 9, 1967 Known as father of personality theories

3. View of human nature Allport’s theory is known as trait theory because he emphasized the nature and evolution of personality traits His theory is also known as psychology of individuals because it emphasized a person’s uniqueness Allport said that a person’s current state is more important then whatever he or she was in the past Allport view psychology as the study of a healthy person He took the basic approach that every individual is different from other and should be studied accordingly Individuals still can be compared but allport’s understanding of psychology was beyond just comparison

4. Continue.. Another radical view of allport is one regarding the dynamics within the individuals which he referred as functional autonomy This was the aspect where he differ from other psychologists specially psychoanalysts like FREUD AND JUNG and also behaviorists like SKINNER He believe that motivation occurs independent of past experiences, it is the present motives such as attitude and life style due to which a person’s behavior occurs

5. Structure of personality First of all e used the word trait but then he saw that most of the people assumed that by trait he meant traits as perceived by someone by looking at someone or measured by some personality tests, so he changed the word trait to the word Dispositions Defined as “Unique individual characteristics within a person”

6. personal disposition “Any of a number of enduring characteristics that describe or determine an individual's behavior across a variety of situations and that are uniquely expressed by that individual”. There are three types of personal disposition Cardinal disposition Central disposition Secondary disposition

7. Continue… Cardinal disposition: =>The disposition that dominate and shapes a person’s behavior. =>so persuasive that they influence virtually every behavior of that person =>also called primary traits =>limited in numbers to just one or two For example: If a person is humorous in nature ,Abraham Lincoln (honest) Central disposition: => Central Traits refer to general characteristics that are present to some degree in almost everyone . =>5 to 10 central traits are present in a person’s personality => for example: honesty, kindness, friendliness etc. Secondary disposition: =>They appear only in certain situations or under specific circumstances. => for example: public speaking anxiety, stage fear e tc.

8. Idiographic approach The idiographic approach to personality  suggests that we each possess a unique psychological structure . Certain traits, or combinations of traits, might be held by just one person, and therefore it is impossible to compare people like for like. It was the intensive study of simple case It emphasizes the uniqueness of individuals For example: Case studies  provide an interesting example of an idiographic approach, as they provide an in-depth insight into an individual or small group which can be used to evaluate a theory. For example, Shallice and Warrington (1970) examined the case of Patient KF, who experienced a motorbike accident

9. Nomothetic approach The nomothetic approach to personality  looks at what people have in common with each other . It comes from the Greek word nomos, which means 'law,' and the nomothetic approach is interested in finding patterns or laws of human personality . Study a group of individual and analyze them For example: Biological Psychologists take a nomothetic approach when explaining psychological disorders, such as  OCD and depression . They typically pinpoint biological factors, such as neurotransmitters, that are responsible for such disorders and use biological therapies (e.g. drugs) to treat all patients

10. Criteria of mature personality Allport in his theory identified six criteria as a maturity basis: Self extension: has diverse interest Warm human interaction: respect and appreciate the rights of others self acceptance or emotional security: accepts frustrating situation and have a optimistic point of view Realistic perceptions: look at situations in an objective manner and solve the practical problems of everyday living Self objectification: has insight and awareness of one’s weaknesses and strengths and has a good sense of humor Unifying principals of life: has a sense of purpose, believe and a goal in life

11. Functional autonomy Allport was one of the first researchers to draw a distinction between Motive and Drive. The idea that drives can become independent of the original motives for a given behavior   is known as functional autonomy . it means a strong inclination for a motive system to develop independently of a primary drive originated in an action For example: a young student first carried out a field study because it was required in college, because his parents wanted it, or because it comes easily. After he started working, he got absorbed in the topic. Another example of functional autonomy is when the original motive of making money to buy goods becomes a drive, in which making money becomes an end in itself

12. Types of functional autonomy There are two types of functional autonomy Preservative functional autonomy: a close or almost close system which continue primarily and its own power with little or no outside reinforcement for example: eating and sleeping everyday at same time Propionate functional autonomy: an open system which presupposes that an individual is constantly bombarded with stimuli For example:  Values are the usual example.  Perhaps you were punished for being selfish when you were a child.  That doesn’t in any way detract from your well-known generosity today it has become your value

13. Personality development Proprium: Gordon Allport defined proprium as a person's internalized, unified sense of self, which influences how personality develops. Stages of proprium: The Sense of Bodily Self , which is a sense of one’s own body, including bodily sensations, attests to one’s existence and therefore remains a lifelong anchor for self-awareness. The Sense of Self-identity  , which is the second aspect of the proprium is self-identity. This is most evident when the child, through acquiring language, recognizes himself as a distinct and constant point of reference. The Sense of Self-Esteem or Pride , which is an individual’s evaluation of himself and the urge to want to do everything for oneself and take all of the credit. The Sense of Self-Extension , occurs during the third year of life, which states that even though some things are not inside my physical body they are still very much a part of one’s life.

14. Continue… 5. The Self-Image , or how others view “me” is another aspect of selfhood that emerges during childhood. 6. The Sense of Self as a Rational-Cope r occurs between the ages of six and twelve in which the child begins to realize fully that he ahs the rational capacity to find solutions to life’s problems, so that they can cope effectively with reality demands. 7. Propriate Striving , which Allport believed to be the core problem for the adolescent. It is the selection of the occupation or other life goal, the adolescent knows that their future must follow a plan, and in this sense makes them lose their childhood. 8. Self as a Knower : The knower (thinking agent) “rides” on top of them. The thinker is different from his or her thoughts, is Allport’s stand, contrary to William James, who ridiculously maintains that “The thoughts themselves are the thinker

15. Criticism: One unfortunate aspect of his theory is his original use of the word trait, which brought down the wrath of a number of situationally oriented behaviorists who would have been much more open to his theory if they had bothered to understand it.  But that has always been a weakness of psychology in general and personality in particular:  Ignorance of the past and the theories and research of other the most common criticisms of trait theory center on the  fact that traits are often poor predictors of behavior . While an individual may score high on assessments of a specific trait, he may not always behave that way in every situation Another limitation of trait theories is that they  require personal observations or subjective self-reports to measure , requiring individuals to be introspective enough to know their own behavior. While trait theories provide information about how individuals may behave, they do not explain why they may behave this way.