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Psychological View of Self: Trait theory of Personality of Gordon Allport

The Trait theory of Personality of Gordon Allport

Who is Gordon Willard Allport?
Allport was an American psychologist and first psychologists to focus on the study of
the personality. He is one of the founding figures of personality psychology.
Background Information about Gordon W. Allport
Gordon’s family was obsess with cleanliness
Because, his father was a physician and there house was also the clinic.
His mother believed that “cleanliness to their house, is cleanliness to their souls”.
That’s why their family was obsess with cleanliness.
One day, he met the famous Sigmund Freud and talk about his childhood story to
him and share about a crying kid he saw on a tramp car that has dirt phobia and ask
what is his opinion about this. And, Sigmund Freud answer him, “IS CHILD THAT IS
YOU?”
Allport’s Personality of individual theory
He assert that every person possesses “traits” and according to him, “a ‘trait’ is your
essential characteristic that never, ever changes and sticks with you all your life.”
Unlike other theories that is so very philosophical in nature, his theory is very straight
forward and answer 3 questions:
1. What is Personality?
2. Role of conscience motivation to behaviour of a person?
3. What are the characteristics of a psychologically healthy person?
What is Personality?
Personality is the dynamic organization within the individual of those psycho-
physical systems that determines their characteristic behaviour and thoughts.
1) Personality as “dynamic organization”
- Interrelated structures and has pattern
- Not static but changing
2) Personality as “psychophysical system”
- The dynamic psychophysical system shall determine what thoughts and
actions of a person.
3) Personality is “characteristic to a person”
- Unique
- Behavior can be adaptive (response to the environment) &/or expressive
(ganon talaga siya)
Personal Dispositions are the basic building block of the personality of an individual.
It is different form traits.

What is the role of conscious motivation?

Remember his encounter with Sigmund freud, Freud answer him “Is that child is
you.” Unconsciously you are that child and you want to know my opinion (an
authority figure) because deep down you want to please your father.
Through this even, allport said, “This experience taught me that depth psychology,
for all its merits, may plunge too depp and that psychologist would do well to give full
recognition to manifest motives before probing the unconscious.”
Which tell us that, conscious motivation is important than unconscious motivation.
What are the characteristics of a psychologically healthy individual?
- Proactive in their behaviour, not reactive
- Age is not requirement for maturity. Healthy individuals becomes mature
as they age (vice versa)
- Simple motivation, all we need is conscious motivation and not to dig depp
so much about its unconscious motivation.