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1 Gordon Allport: Overall theory of personality and Prejudices

Gordon Allport: Overall Theory of Personality and Prejudices Nicole Anash Kean University

2 Gordon Allport: Overall theory of personality and Prejudices

Abstract This paper explores the findings of Gordon W. Allport, pioneering psychologist in personality psychology. This article will also delve into Allport’s definition of traits, personality, and his hierarchy of traits. Also, diving into one theory of why people are prejudice and how we might begin to combat it. Works this paper will explore include, The Nature of Prejudice by Gordon W. Allport and the overall theorists’ contribution to the approach of studying and teaching psychology; emphasizing the value and uniqueness of each person. Along with Allport’s theory for prejudice this paper will touch on Muzafer Sherifs’ Robbers Cove experiment, also correlating with group interactions and prejudices.

3 Gordon Allport: Overall theory of personality and Prejudices

Gordon Allport was a pioneering psychologist often referred to as one of the founders of personality psychology. He was especially important because he rejected to fall into the two dominant thoughts in psychology, psychoanalysis and behaviorism, and instead looked at the importance of individual differences. Allport was described to have a humanistic approach to psychology, humanistic psychologists look at human behavior not only through the eyes of the observer, but through the eyes of the person doing the behaving. Eventually Allport came to his theories on traits and the important distinction between individual traits and common traits. Which further developed into his overall theory of personality. Allport viewed a trait as both a form of readiness and a determining tendency. In 1936, Allport and Odbert had examined the 1925 edition of Webster’s New International Dictionary and came to their definition of traits in 1937. We are left with a concept of trait as a generalized and focalized neuropsychic system (peculiar to the individual), with the capacity to render many stimuli functionally equivalent, and to initiate and guide consistent (equivalent) forms of adaptive and expressive behavior. (pg. 295; Allport, 1937) These findings led Allport to develop his method for hierarchy of traits: cardinal, central, and secondary. He believed that drives and motives shaped personality. Drives he explained as the desire to do the now, and motives were deep rooted and in our unconscious. According to Allport, cardinal traits dominate an individual's entire personality, its stable across time and drives our reactions to situations and our behaviors. These cardinal traits are those individual traits that are rare to the person. Central traits are more expressive traits such as kindness and

4 Gordon Allport: Overall theory of personality and Prejudices

honesty. Central traits are common traits. Lastly, secondary traits, these traits are very situationally dependent, almost like a first response system such as getting nervous when asked to present a speech. (Allport, G. W. 1937). Upon skimming pages of The Nature of prejudices by Gordon Allport, according to Allport, the essential ingredients of prejudice, generalization and hostility, are natural and common capacities of the human mind. (Allport, G. W. 1955) The human mind must think with the aid of categories…Once formed, categories are the basis for normal prejudgment. We cannot possibly avoid this process. Orderly living depends upon it. (Allport, G. W. 1955; p. 20) In other words, the human mind is only comfortable with what we know, when we are presented with a situation that is new to us or strange, we arise at prejudices. What is interesting although many differences exist between groups, why is race emphasized? The answer is, in part, disturbingly simple: we can see race. Allport in his research always refers back to the naturality of humans to feel prejudice. Strangeness in people who are different means uncomfortable situations and averse to some people. So how do we even begin to combat prejudices. Well Gordon W. Allport came up with contact hypothesis, also known as the intergroup contact theory to break it down for us. To this day the contact hypothesis has been described as one of the best ways to improve relations among groups that are experiencing conflict. The premise of Allport’s hypothesis states that under appropriate conditions interpersonal contact is one of the most effective ways to reduce prejudice between majority and minority group members (Allport, G. W. 1955). If two separate groups have the ability to sit and talk to each other and educate of their differences then as a new

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understanding the prejudice should diminish. It may seem like common sense to us now, but back then it was still a taboo subject to bring up. Mind you this is the early 1900s. Contact fails to cure conflict when contact situations create anxiety for those who take part, so we can also summarize that conflict sparks prejudices which also has a toll on mental health, in this case anxiety. In order for these contact situations to not arise any anxiety, according to Allport some measures do have to be taken. To obtain beneficial results in positive contact some things to keep in mind are, equal status (marriage, similar backgrounds); common goals preferably a superordinate goal, a goal that can only be attained if the members of two or more groups work together by pooling their efforts and resources; support of authorities; cooperation and personal interaction. Along with Allport’s methods for intergroup contact, another psychologist explored the psychological understanding of groups. His name was Muzafer Sherif, a social psychologist known for his contribution to realistic conflict theory. Loosely, the theory suggested that negative prejudices and stereotypes are a result of competition between two groups for desired resources (Sherif, M.1961). Sherifs’ famous experiment “the Robers Cave” validated his theory. In short, Sherif had 22 boys put into two groups of twelve and made them go through a boy scouts retreat. The first week the boys spent within their groups, bonding and becoming friends. The groups each took on their own norms, group name and own culture. Sherif then began the competition stage which both groups of boys had to compete to win various games like tug of war or baseball. There were also individual prizes for the winning group such as a medal and a multi-bladed pocket knife with no consolation prizes being given to the "losers." The winning group was ecstatic and took pride in their win. They even claimed the baseball field they played on as their own, putting up a sign that read “Keep Out!”. The boys were put through

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various situations where one group had an advantage such as, eating food earlier than another group, so group two wouldn’t have enough left to eat. At first, this prejudice was only verbally expressed, such as taunting or name-calling. As the competition wore on, this expression took a more direct route. They began breaking into cabins, overturning beds, and stealing private property. The groups became so aggressive with each other that the researchers had to physically separate them. According to Sharifs’ findings there is a lot of evidence that when people compete for scarce resources (i.e. jobs, land etc.) there is a rise in hostility between groups (Sherif, M.1961). Now a days, we don’t see as much conflict in race as we do culture but the same method applies. You can have an opinion on a culture but never truly amerce yourself in all the unknown it has to offer. Also goes to say that the world is not rid of its prejudices because of Allport or Sherif. A question for further studying came up in 2006 by Whitely and Kate. If it were possible to achieve a world in which people were not prejudice, what attitude should replace it? Whitley and Kite identify the two most commonly raised options: color-blindness and multiculturalism. The color-blind perspective suggests that people should ignore race and ethnicity, acting as if they simply don’t exist, whereas the multicultural perspective considers ethnic/racial identity as cognitively inescapable and fundamental to self-concept. Whitley and Kite suggest that reducing prejudice is most likely to occur as a result of individuals both changing their own attitudes and working to help others change their attitudes as well (Whitley, B. E., & Kite, M. E. 2010). We have a long way to go in understanding and overcoming prejudice and discrimination. However, within a framework first established in detail by Allport, our examination and understanding of the major issue is rapidly growing.

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References Allport, G. W. (1937). Personality: A psychological interpretation.

Allport, G. W. (1955). The Nature of Prejudice. Cambridge, Mass: Addison-Wesley Pub. Co.

University of Oklahoma., & Sherif, M. (1961). Intergroup conflict and cooperation: The Robbers Cave experiment. Norman: University Book Exchange.

Whitley, B. E., & Kite, M. E. (2010). The psychology of prejudice and discrimination. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning....