allport

Allport’s theory of traits
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Allport’s Theory of Traits
– A Critical Review of the Theory and Two Studies

Louise Barkhuus
ID: 4187741
Concordia University
PSYC 326/4
Patricia Csank
Date: April 19, 1999

Allport’s theory of traits
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Abstract
This paper reviews Gordon Allport’s theory of traits as well as two of his studies, “Personality Traits”, 1921 and “Letters from Jenny”, 1966. His theory, which is based more on his view of human nature than on research, distinguishes between common traits and individual traits, with emphasis on the individual traits. The two studies illustrate how Allport applies the theory in his research. Finally the paper concludes that although Allport’s trait theory only capture parts of the concept of personality, credit should be given due to the fact that the theory is an early attempt to describe and measure personality.

Allport’s theory of traits
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Allport’s Theory of Traits – A Critical Review of the Theory and Two Studies

Gordon W. Allport (1897–1967) was the first psychologists who gave thorough thought to the concepts of traits. He developed his own trait theory and he continued to view the trait as the most appropriate way of describing and studying personality. He is, by many, actually considered to be the first psychologist dealing with personality at all and was the first to offer a class in this field at Harvard
University in 1924 (Schultz, 1976; Pervin & John, 1997). Throughout his life, Allport continued to develop and work with his trait theory and he inspired many other psychologists who also adopted this approach to personality or developed their own trait theory (e.g. Eysenck, McClelland).
The aim of this paper is to review Allport’s trait theory as described in his own published material supplemented by comments from other scholars. The paper’s focus is on the theory of traits and Allport’s view of personality. Although much literature has been published on the concept of

References: Allport, F. H. & Allport, G. W. (1921). Personality traits: Their Classification and Measurement. Allport, G. W. (1937). Personality –A psychological interpretation. New York: Henry Holt and Company. Allport, G. W. (1941). The use of personal documents in psychological science. New York: Social Science Research Council. Allport, G. W. (1955). Becoming. Basic considerations for a psychology of personality. New Haven: Yale University Press. Allport, G. W. (1965). Letters from Jenny. New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, Inc. Allport, G. W. (1966). Traits revisited. American Psychologist, 21, 1-10. Cartwright, D. S. (1974). Introduction to personality. Chicago: Rand McNally College Publishing Company. Chaplin, J. P. & Krawiec, T. S. (1968). Systems and Theories of Psychology. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc. Pervin, L. A. & John, O. P. (1997). Personality – Theory and research. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Schultz, D. (1976). Theories of personality. Monterey, CA: Brooks/Cole Publishing Company.