Allport Powerpoint for simple crash course in Theories of Personality PDF

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Allport Powerpoint for simple crash course in Theories of Personality...

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Allport: Psychology of the Individual ● Gordon Allport’s encounter with Freud where he told a story of a 4 year old boy who displayed a dirt phobia (Allport) was the spark that ignited his interest in personality theory Overview of Allport’s Psychology of the Individual ● Allport emphasized the uniqueness of the individual m  ore than any other personality theorist ● Believed that any attempt to describe people using general traits robs their unique individuality ● He objected to trait and factor theories that tend to reduce individual behaviors to common traits ● Morphogenic science – study of the individual; he had the willingness to study in depth a single individual ● Morphogenic methods – those that gather data on a single individual; Nomothetic methods – gather data on groups of people ● He advocated an eclectic a pproach to theory building (accepted contributions from other theorists but believed none are able to explain unique personality) ● To Allport, a broad, comprehensive theory is preferable to a narrow specific theory even if it does not generate as many testable hypotheses ● He argued against particularism, or theories that emphasize a single aspect of personality Biography of Gordon Allport ● Born in Indiana ● Fourth and youngest son of John Allport and Nellie Wise Allport ● Father had business ventures before becoming a physician -> lacked office and clinical facilities so he turned the household into a mini hospital (there were patients and nurses; clean & sterile atmosphere prevailed) ● Cleanliness of action was extended to cleanliness of thought

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Allport’s life was marked by “plain Protestant piety” Floyd Allport (older brother) described mom as a very pious woman who placed heavy emphasis on religion Mother taught Allport the virtues of clean language and proper conduct Young Allport developed an early interest in philosophical and religious questions and had more facility for words than in games Described himself as a social isolate who fashioned his own circle of activities In Harvard he taught the first personality course in America. It combined social ethics and the pursuit of goodness and morality with psychology. It reflected his strong personal dispositions of cleanliness and morality Ada Allport – wife; clinical psychologist; had the clinical training that her husband lacked He was a heavy smoker and died of lung cancer

Allport’s Approach to Personality Theory What is Personality? ● He traced the etymology of the word persona (theatrical mask used in ancient Greek drama by Roman actors) back to Greek roots ● He then spelled out 49 definitions of personality ● 50th definition: the dynamic organization within the individual of those psychophysical systems that determine his unique adjustments to his environment ● Changed last phrase to “that determine his characteristic behavior and thought” This change reflected his penchant for accuracy ● New definition implied the idea that behavior is expressive as well as adaptive. People not only adjust to environment but also reflect on it and interact with it to cause environment to adjust to them

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Dynamic organization – term implies an integration of the different aspects of personality; it is organized and patterned; however, the organization is subject to change; personality is not static, it is constantly growing or changing Psychophysical – term emphasizes the importance of both psychological and physical aspects of personality Determine – term that implies action; “personality is something and does something”; personality is not just the mask we wear, nor is it simply the behavior; it is the individual behind the façade, the person behind the action Characteristic – “individual” or “unique”; “character” originally meant a marking or engraving; characteristics are marked with a unique engraving, a stamp or marking, that no one else can duplicate Behavior and thought – anything a person does Allport’s comprehensive definition of personality suggests that humans are both product and process; people have some organized structure but they can also possess the capability of change

What is the Role of Conscious Motivation? ● He emphasized the importance of conscious motivation ● Healthy adults are generally aware of what they are doing and their reasons for doing it ● His encounter with Freud -> Freud insisted on the unconscious meaning, Allport simply wanted to know Freud’s ideas on dirt phobia in a young child ● He was inclined to accept self-reports at face value ● He did not ignore the existence/importance of unconscious processes ● He recognized the fact that some motivation is driven by hidden impulses and sublimated drives (compulsive behaviors are automatic repetitions motivated by unconscious tendencies)

What Are the Characteristics of a Healthy Person? ● Allport hypothesized in depth about the attributes of the mature personality (general): 1. They are characterized by proactive behavior: not only react to external stimuli, but also capable of consciously acting on their environment in new ways and causing their environment to react with them. Proactive behavior is not merely for reducing tensions but also for establishing new ones 2. Mature personalities are more likely than disturbed ones to be motivated by conscious processes 3. Healthy people have experienced a relatively trauma-free childhood even though their later years may have conflict and suffering 4. Age is not a requisite for maturity, although healthy persons seem to become more mature as they age ●

Specific requirements for psychological health: 1. Extension of the sense of self o Mature people seek to identify with and participate in events outside themselves o They develop an unselfish interest in work, play, and recreation o Social interest (Gemeinschaftsgefuhl), family, and spiritual life are important to them o These outside activities become part of one’s being 2. Warm relating of self to others o They have the capacity to love others in an intimate and compassionate manner

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Warm relating is dependent on people’s ability to extend their sense of self Only by looking beyond themselves can people love nonpossessively and unselfishly Have healthy sexual attitude and do not exploit others for personal gratification

3. Emotional security or self-acceptance o Accept themselves for what they are o Have emotional poise o Not overly upset when things do not go as planned or when they are having a bad day o They do not dwell on minor irritations and recognize that frustrations and inconveniences are a part of living 4. Realistic perception o Healthy people do not live in a fantasy world or bend reality to fit their own wishes o Problem-oriented rather than self-centered o They are in touch with the world 5. Insight and humor o Mature people know themselves and have no need to attribute their own mistakes and weaknesses to others o Nonhostile sense of humor: Have the capacity to laugh at themselves rather than relying on sexual/aggressive themes to make people laugh o Insight and humor are closely related and may be aspects of self-objectification: they see themselves objectively

6. Unifying philosophy of life

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Healthy people have a clear view of the purpose of life Without this view, their insight would be empty and barren Humor would be trivial and cynical This philosophy may or may not be religious

Structure of Personality - basic units or building blocks - Freud’s basic units were instincts - Eysenck’s basic units were biologically determined factors - Allport’s were personal dispositions ●

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Common traits o general characteristics held in common by many people o can be inferred from factor analytic studies/personality inventories o they provide the means by which people can be compared to one other Personal dispositions o Permit researchers to study a single individual o “a generalized neuropsychic structure (peculiar to the individual), with the capacity to render many stimuli functionally equivalent, and to initiate and guide consistent/equivalent forms of adaptive and stylistic behavior” Levels of Personal Dispositions o Cardinal dispositions ✓ Eminent characteristic or ruling passion so outstanding that it dominates their lives ✓ So obvious that they cannot be hidden ✓ Nearly every action in a person’s life revolves around this one cardinal disposition ✓ Most do not have a cardinal disposition, but those few

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people who do are often known by that single characteristic ✓ Individual and not shared with any other person (Only Narcissus was completely narcissistic; only the Marquis de Sade possessed sadism) ✓ When these names are used to describe others, they become common traits o Central dispositions ✓ 5-10 most outstanding characteristics ✓ described as those that would be listed in an accurate letter of recommendation written by someone who knew the person quite well o Secondary dispositions ✓ Less conspicuous but far greater in number than central dispositions ✓ Many have secondary dispositions that are not central to their personality yet occur regularly Interperson comparisons are inappropriate to personal dispositions, and comparisons transform dispositions to common traits All personal dispositions are dynamic because they have motivational power Motivational dispositions – strongly felt dispositions that receive their motivation from basic needs and drives; initiate action Stylistic dispositions – less intensely experienced personal dispositions; guide action; ex: neat appearance People are motivated to dress because of the need to stay warm, but the manner of dressing is determined by their stylistic disposition Proprium

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Characteristics that individuals refer to “that is me” or “this is mine” Characteristics that are “peculiarly mine” Behavior/characteristics that people regard as warm, central, and important in their lives It is not the whole personality (not all characteristics of a person are warm and central) but they exist on the periphery of personality Nonpropriate behaviors include: 1. basic needs and drives 2. tribal customs (wearing clothes, saying hello, driving on the right side of the road) 3. habitual behaviors (smoking or brushing teeth) The propium includes those a person regards as important to a sense of self-identity and self-enhancement It includes a person’s values that are personal and consistent with one’s adult beliefs

Motivation ● Allport believed most people are motivated by present drives rather then past events ● They are aware of what they are doing and have some understanding of why they are doing it ● Peripheral motives – are those that reduce a need ● Propriate strivings – seek to maintain tension and disequilibrium A Theory of Motivation ● People not only react to the environment but also shape their environment and cause it to react to them

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Allport contended that an accurate theory of personality must allow for proactive behavior o it must view people as consciously acting on their environment in a manner that permits growth toward psychological health

Functional autonomy ● Allport’s most distinctive concept and most controversial postulate ● His explanation for the myriad human motives that are seemingly not accounted for by hedonistic or drive-reduction principles ● Represents a theory of changing rather than unchanging ● Capstone of Allport’s idea on motivation ● Some but not all human motives are functionally independent from the original motive responsible for the behavior ● If a motive is functionally autonomous, it is the explanation of behavior (no primary or hidden causes) ● People hoard because they like to do so -> not traceable to childhood ● Functional autonomy is a reaction to what Allport called theories of unchanging motives (Freud’s pleasure principle & drive-reduction hypothesis of stimulus-response psychology) ● It is contemporary and self-sustaining Four requirements of an adequate theory of motivation: 1. Will acknowledge the contemporaneity of motives o Whatever moves us must move now; past alone is unimportant; history of an individual is only significant when there is a present effect on motivation 2. It will be a pluralistic theory— allowing for motives of many types o Allport was opposed to reducing all human motivation to one master drive

Adults’ motives are different from children’s o Some motivations are conscious, others unconscious; some are tension reducing, some are tension maintaining 3. It will ascribe dynamic force to cognitive processes—e.g. to planning and inattention o Lives of healthy adults are future oriented, involving preferences, purposes, plans, and intentions 4. It will allow for the concrete uniqueness of motives o Ex: Derrick wants to improve his bowling game because he wants to improve his bowling game (not an aggressive need/inhibited drive). His motive is concrete and his manner of seeking improvement is unique to him o

Perseverative Functional Autonomy ● The more elementary of the two levels of functional autonomy ● “Perseveration” -> tendency of an impression to leave an influence on subsequent experience ● Example: Addiction to alcohol/drugs when there is no physiological hunger for them (continue to drink even if not thirsty) ● Example: uncompleted tasks -> a problem once started but then interrupted will perseverate, creating new tension to finish the task Propriate Functional Autonomy ● The master system of motivation that confers unity in personality ● Those self-sustaining motives that are related to the proprium ● Hobbies, occupations, interests ● Taking a job she hates because of money -> develops passion for job Criterion for Functional Autonomy ● A criteria is functionally autonomous to the extent that it seeks new goals

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The behavior continues even if the motivation for it changes

Processes that are not Functionally Autonomous ● Biological drives (eating, drinking, sleeping) ● Motives that reduce basic drives ● Reflex actions (eye blink) ● Constitutional equipment (physique, intelligence, temperament) ● Habits in the process of being formed ● Behavior that need primary reinforcement ● Sublimations tied to childhood sexual desires ● Neurotic/pathological symptoms The Study of the Individual Morphogenic Science ● Both idiographic and morphogenic pertain to the individual but “idiographic” does not suggest structure or pattern ● “morphogenic” refers to patterned properties of the whole organism and allows for intraperson comparison ● methods: verbatim recordings, interviews, dreams, confessions, diaries, letters ● semimorphogenic methods: self-rating scales (adjective checklist), standardized tests where people are compared to themselves The Diaries of Marion Taylor ● personal, fantasies, secret feelings ● did not publish case history Letters from Jenny ● Best illustrated Allport’s morphogenic approach to the study of life ● Letters that reveal a story of an older woman and her intense love/hate feelings with her son Ross ● Glenn and Isabel (Gordon and Ada) ● Early letters were concerned with money, death, and Ross

Jenny hated the women Ross was interested in ● 3 techniques to look at Jenny’s personality: 1. Personal structure analysis – frequency and contiguity were used 2. Factor analysis – to extract primary personal dispositions 3. Commonsense technique ●...