Allport’s Theory of Personality

Anantha U G
Asst Prof, Dept of Psychology
KJC, Bangalore
 Nature of Personality
• “Personality is the dynamic organization
within the individual of those psychophysical
systems that determine characteristic
behavior and thought” (Allport, 1961, p. 28).
• Psychophysical system – mind and body.
• Dynamic – Constantly changing
• Heredity and Environment – Heredity will
provide the raw materials and environment
will facilitate them.
 Continue..
• Two distinct personalities – Childhood and
adult personality
 Personality Traits
• Predispositions
• Measured on a continuum and are subject to
social, environmental, and cultural influences
• Real and exist within us
• Determine the cause of behaviours
• Can be measured empirically
• Interrelated
• Vary according to the situation
 Types
• Traits and personal dispositions
• Personal dispositions – Cardinal, Central and
Secondary
 Habits and Attitudes
• Habits - Specific, inflexible responses to
specific stimuli
• Attitudes - Specific objects of reference and
involve either positive or negative evaluations.
 Motivation
• Whatever happened in the past is exactly the
past and nothing to do with present
• Allport explained present with respect to
future
• Motives of mature, emotionally healthy adults
are not functionally connected to the prior
experiences in which they initially appeared –
Functional autonomy
 Types of Functional Autonomy
• Perseverative Functional Autonomy - relates
to low-level and routine behaviors
E. g- Addictions and habits
• The actions once served a purpose but no
longer do so and are at too low a level to be
considered an integral part of personality
• our preference for routine, familiar behaviors
we maintain even in the absence of external
reinforcement.
 Continue…
• Propriate Functional Autonomy - relates to
our values, self-image, and lifestyle.
• Proprium – self or ego
• Self determines which motive should be
attended and which should be discarded
• “We enjoy doing what we do well”
• It works based on our interests.
 Continue…
• E.g. – Our interests on music, sports etc
• Propriate functioning maintains our self image
• Its and organising process which helps in
perception
This organizing process is governed by the
following three principles:
• Organizing the energy level – how we acquire
new motive and help us to consume our
energy in a positive way.
• Mastery and competence – Help us to better
our performance
• Propriate patterning - Striving for consistency
and integration of the personality.
 Stages of Development
Stages Development
Bodily Self Infants become aware of their own
existence and distinguish their own
bodies from objects in the environment.
Self - Identity Children realize that their identity remains
intact despite the many changes that are
taking place.
Self - Esteem Pride
Extension of Self Recognize the objects and people that are
part of their own world.
Self - Image Develop actual and idealized images of
themselves. Satisfy the expectations
Self as a rational coper Logic
Propriate Striving Young people begin to formulate long-
range goals and plans.
Adulthood functionally autonomous, independent of
childhood motives
 Nature of Healthy Adults
• Extends his or her sense of self to people and to
activities beyond the self.
• Relates warmly to other people, exhibiting intimacy,
compassion, and tolerance.
• The mature adult’s self-acceptance helps him or her
achieve emotional security.
• Holds a realistic perception of life, develops personal
skills, and makes a commitment to some type of work.
• Has a sense of humor and self-objectification.
• Subscribes to a unifying philosophy of life, which is
responsible for directing the personality toward future
goals.