Gordon Allport

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Professional Psychology: Debating Chamber · Psychology Journals · Psychologists

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Gordon Willard Allport (November 11 1897 - October 9 1967) was an American psychologist. He was born in Montezuma, Indiana. His works include Becoming, Pattern and Growth in Personality and The Individual and his Religion.

Allport is considered a trait theorist, discussing traits which he believed predominate a person's personality. These were referred to as central traits, traits which help in the development of personality. When one becomes an apparent force, it is referred to as a cardinal trait. Central traits and cardinal traits are influenced by environmental factors.

During his time at Harvard he was involved in instructing many future Ph.D.s, among them Stanley Milgram (Milgram, 1977).

Allport once visited Freud in Vienna. Upon his arrival, he recounted how he had met a boy on the train riding to his office who was afraid of getting dirty. He refused to sit down near anyone dirty, despite his mother's reassurances. After studying Allport for a minute, he asked, "Was that little boy you?" Allport was offended by this question and refused to believe in Freud's psychoanalysis. The incident had a lasting effect on Allport and his theories, leading him to focus on conscious motivations.

In addition to his contributions to personality, Allport made contributions to social psychology, especially in the study of attitudes.

A committed Christian, he also made contributions to the Psychology of Religion. Some of his writings on these topics reflect his interest in the social psychology of prejudice.

See Allport's scale

References

• Milgram, Stanley. (1977) The individual in a social world : essays and experiments. ISBN 0201043823.