Traits and Personology: Gordon Allport, Henry Murray

Chapter 10

Galens Typology

Phlegmatic Choleric Sanguine Melancholic

Gordon Allport
Born in 1897 in Indiana Attended Harvard Became an instructor of social ethics at Harvard Taught the first course offered in personality

The Nature of Personality

Personality a real entity Hoped that neurophysiological and psychological research would one day show us the location of personality Distinguished between continuity theories of personality (people cannot change much) and discontinuity theories (open and allow extensive growth)

Traits
Neuropsychic structures within a person that influence behavior; they are not simply labels we use to describe or classify behaviors Common traits hypothetical constructs that permit us to make comparisons between individuals Personal dispositions unique to each person
Cardinal so pervasive that they influence almost every behavior of an individual Central highly characteristic of individual Secondary specific, focused tendencies

Thinking Critically
Central Dispositions
Think of a close friend you know well. Describe your friends personality by jotting down words or phrases that express his or her essential characteristics. Do the same thing for yourself. Count the number of words or phrases necessary to describe your friend and yourself.

The Proprium, Functional Autonomy

Central experiences of self-awareness that people have as they grow and move forward Propriate functions Functional Autonomy implies that adult motivation is not necessarily tied to the past
Perseverative Propriate

A Definition of Maturity
Extension of Sense of Self Warm Relating of Self to Others Emotional Security (Self-Acceptance) Realistic Perception, Skills, and Assignments Self-Objectification (Insight and Humor) Unifying Philosophy of Life

Assessment and Research in Allports Theory

View of personality as open and discontinuous did not lend itself well to study Allport encouraged idiographic approach to study that centers on the individual in order to understand uniqueness Use of content analysis in study of personal documents

Henry Murray
Born in 1893 in New York City Received little formal training in psychology Graduated from Harvard as history major Graduated from medical school

Received M.A. in biology and Ph.D. in biochemistry Spent 3 weeks with Jung and emerged a reborn man

The Study of Personology

Interdisciplinary study of the individual employing a wide array of clinical, psychoanalytic, and experimental methods Human Needs
A need is a force in the brain that organizes our perception, understanding, and behavior in such a way as to lead us to change an unsatisfying situation A press is a force from objects or persons within environment that help or hinder an individual reaching goals

Needs
What are some of our basic psychological needs? (dont include physiological needs such as food, drink or sleep)

Murray's List of Needs

Dominance To Respect Be independent Aggression To surrender Achievement Sex Sensuousness Exhibition Play Affiliation Relate to others Rejection To exclude Seek Help To give help Avoid embarrassment Protect self Face Failure with continued effort Avoid harm Organize Understand

Assessment and Research in Murrays Theory

Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) a projective device in which a person makes up a story for ambiguous pictures
Stories interpreted in terms of needs, press, and themes The ambiguity of the pictures leaves the description up to the viewer.

Examples of the TAT

More Examples