Personality Persentationn

GORDON W.
ALLPORT’S
TRAIT THEORY
INTRODUCTION
Gordon Allport’s-bio
Gordon W. Allport (1897-1967) was a key figure in personality psychology.
He made significant contributions to understanding personality traits.
His work emphasized the uniqueness of each individual and the consistency of their
behavior.
Educational Background
• Allport completed his Ph.D. In psychology at Harvard University in 1922.
Focus on Personality Traits
Allport’s Trait Theory identifies and

measures individual personality traits.
• He believed that these traits influence
behavior across different situations
and over time.
• Traits Theory • Personality traits
• The trait theory of personality suggests • Personality traits are the descriptors used
that people have certain basic traits and it to explain the characteristics of an
is the strength and intensity of those traits individual’s personality.
that account for personality differences.
• These characteristics describe a person’s
• The trait approach to personality is one of thoughts, beliefs, values, and behaviors.
the major theoretical areas in the study of
personality.
ALLPORT DEFINED PERSONALITY
Allport defined personality as, “ the dynamic organization within the individual of those
psychophysical system that determines his unique adjustments to his environment” (1937)
• Later in 1961, he altered the last sentence of the definition as “ that determine his
characteristic behaviour and thought.”
ALLPORT’S PERSONALITY EXPLAINED:
Dynamic Organization: it implies that the diverse facets (parts) of personality have
interrelatedness and integration among them.
Psychophysical: it emphasized the importance of both the physical as psychological facets

of personality.
• Determine: implies action, meaning that personality is something & does something.
• Characteristic: it simply means ‘uniqueness’
• Behaviour & Thought: it basically refer to anything the person does – include internal
behaviour (thought) and external behaviours such as words and actions.
• In 1936, psychologist Gordon Allport found
that one English- language dictionary alone
contained more than 4,000 words describing
different personality traits.
• He categorized these traits into three levels:
• Cardinal traits
• central traits
• secondary traits
PERSONALITY TRAITS OF
GORDON ALLPORT
Gordon Allport, a prominent psychologist, made significant contributions to the field of
personality psychology. Here are some key personality traits and concepts according to
Allport’s theory:
Cardinal Traits:
These are dominant traits that define a person’s entire life. A cardinal trait is so
pervasive that the person becomes known for it, such as Mother Teresa’s altruism.
Central Traits:
These are general characteristics that form the basic foundations of personality.
They are not as overwhelming as cardinal traits but are still significant in influencing
behavior. Examples include honesty, sociability, and shyness.
Secondary Traits:
These traits are more situational and less consistent. They may appear only in
certain situations or under specific circumstances, like preferences and attitudes.
The Concept of the Proprium:
Allport introduced the term “proprium” to describe the aspects of a person that
create a sense of self. The proprium includes various layers of selfhood, including self-
identity, self-esteem, and the self-image.
Functional Autonomy:
Allport proposed that motives in adults are independent (autonomous) of their
childhood experiences. This means that while motives may develop from childhood
experiences, they become self-sustaining over time.
Trait Theory:
Allport emphasized that traits are real and they influence behavior. He distinguished
between common traits (shared by many) and individual traits (unique to the person).
Allport’s focus was on understanding the uniqueness of the individual and the
complexity of personality traits, rejecting the notion that personality can be fully understood
by analyzing isolated behavior or experiences.
ASSESSMENT AND INTERVENTION OF
GORDON ALLPORT’S THEORY
ASSESSMENT :
1. Personal-Document Technique: Analyze personal documents like diaries, letters, and
autobiographies to identify personality traits.
2. Study of Values: Use a self-report test to assess an individual’s values and personality.
3. Clinical Interviews: Conduct in-depth interviews to understand an individual’s
thoughts, feelings, and behaviour’s.
4. Observations: Observe an individual’s behavior in different situations to identify
patterns and traits.
INTERVENTION :
1. Identifying and Understanding Personal Dispositions: Help individuals recognize their
unique combination of traits and dispositions.
2. Developing Functional Autonomy Encourage individuals to develop independence, self-
motivation, and a sense of purpose.
3. Promoting Personality Growth and Maturity: Foster self-awareness, emotional
intelligence, and social skills to achieve a more mature and balanced personality.
4. Improving Coping Mechanisms: Help individuals develop effective coping strategies to
deal with stress and adversity.
5. Enhancing Self-Esteem: Foster a positive self-image and self-acceptance.
6. Developing Emotional Intelligence: Help individuals understand and manage their

emotions effectively.
• 7. Improving Interpersonal Relationships: Foster effective communication and
relationship skills.
THERAPEUTIC TECHNIQUES
1. Person-Centered Therapy: Focus on the individual’s unique experiences and personal

growth.
2. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy: Identify and challenge negative thought patterns and

behaviours.
• 3. Humanistic Therapy: Emphasize personal responsibility, self-actualization, and
fulfillment of potential.
• Psychodynamic Therapy: Explore unconscious thoughts and feelings to understand
behaviour.
• Family Therapy: Involve family members in the therapeutic process to improve
relationships and communication.
CRITICAL EVALUATION
STRENGHTS
Emphasis on Individual Uniqueness: Strict reliance on objectivity and allows for a deep
understanding of individual personalities,
Describes each and every trait: Comprehensive Trait Categories.
Combination of Nomothetic and Idiographic Approaches: Allport advocated for both
idiographic (individual case studies) and nomothetic (generalized laws) approaches, which
• Motivation and Functional Autonomy: behaviors can become independent of their
original motivations, meaning people’s actions can evolve to have new reasons or meanings.
Influence on Later Research: Allport’s theory laid the groundwork for subsequent trait
theories, such as the Big Five personality traits, and contributed to the development of
personality assessment tools
• Easy to use and number of assessment devices: Provides an easy to understand
continuum that gives a large amount of information about a person’s personality about the
self and the world.
WEAKNESSES
Limited focus on development: Theory does not mention how original motive develop
into functionally autonomous motive.
Underestimates the power of situation in determining behavior : While an individual

may score high on assessments of a specific trait, they may not always behave that way in
every situation.
• Less focus on environmental factors: Albort attribute too much credit to what goes
inside the organism and not enough credit to seductive and constraining effect of external
forces
Lack of empirical testing and validation: It is grounded more in philosophical speculation
and common sense then in scientific research
• Theory is stuck explaining about present events rather than looking towards the past or
future
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GORDON W.

Gordon W. Allport (1897-1967) was a key figure in personality psychology.

He made significant contributions to understanding personality traits.

Allport’s Trait Theory identifies and

Psychophysical: it emphasized the importance of both the physical as psychological facets

5. Enhancing Self-Esteem: Foster a positive self-image and self-acceptance.

6. Developing Emotional Intelligence: Help individuals understand and manage their

1. Person-Centered Therapy: Focus on the individual’s unique experiences and personal

2. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy: Identify and challenge negative thought patterns and

Underestimates the power of situation in determining behavior : While an individual

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