THE TRAIT APPROACH:

THE GENETICS OF PERSONALITY

ANCIENT GREEKS:
FOUR HUMORS

HIPPOCRATES (400 BC)

• Father of Medicine
• Humors
GALEN (140 AD)
• Temperaments

ELEMENT FLUID PRODUCED BY HUMOR CHARACTER

Fire Yellow Spleen Choleric Irritable, fiery,

bile energetic, passionate

Earth Black bile Gall bladder Melancholic Depressed, sad,

fearful, poetic, artistic
Air Blood Liver Sanguine Optimistic, warm-
hearted, cheerful,
confident, selfish
Water Phlegm Lungs Phlegmatic Calm, kind, cool,
rational, consistent
WILLIAM SHELDON
 TRAIT
APPROACH
Behavior is
determined by
relatively stable traits
which are the
fundamental units of
one’s personality
 TRAITS
a relatively stable, consistent,
and enduring internal
characteristic that is
inferred from a pattern of
behaviors, attitudes,
feelings, and habits in the
individual.
GORDON
ALLPORT:
TRAIT
THEORY
LIFE OF
GORDON ALLPORT
- Born in Montezuma, Indiana on November
11, 1897.
- Youngest of four brothers
- Shy, but also hardworking and studious
- His mother was a teacher and his father
was a salesman who decided to become a
doctor.
- Arising from his childhood conditions of
isolation and rejection, Allport developed
inferiority feelings for which he attempted
to compensate by striving to excel.
- As Allport grew older, he began to identify
with his older brother, Floyd.
- His meeting with Freud was traumatic due
Freud’s comment about him.
- Died October 9, 1967 due to lung cancer
DIFFERENCES OF ALLPORT AND FREUD’S
STUDY ON PERSONALITY
Emotionally healthy people function in rational and conscious terms, aware and
in control of many of the forces that motivate them

Historical determinism

Opposed the collection of data from emotionally disturbed persons

Emphasis on the uniqueness of personality as defined by each person’s traits

THE NATURE OF
PERSONALITY
Personality is the
dynamic organization
within the individual of
those psychophysical
systems that
determine…
characteristic
behavior and
thought.
- Allport, 1961
 TWO DISTINCT
PERSONALITIES

Childhood Adulthood
 CHARACTERISTICS OF TRAITS:
Personality traits are Traits can be
Traits determine or
real and exist within demonstrated
cause behavior.
each of us. empirically.

Traits are interrelated;

they may overlap, even
Traits vary with the
though they represent
situation.
different
characteristics.
 TWO TYPES OF TRAITS
INDIVIDUAL TRAITS COMMON TRAITS
Unique to a person and define his or her character Shared by a number of people, such as the
members of a culture
▪ Allport relabeled it as personal disposition. Likely to change over time as social
▪ Traits that are peculiar to an individual, as opposed to traits shared by a number of standards and values change
people.
▪ Do not all have the same intensity or significance.
▪ Types:
A. Cardinal traits
- The most pervasive and powerful that dominates human behavior. Subject to social, environmental, and
B. Central traits cultural influences
- Some 5 to 10 themes that best describe our behavior.
- The handful of outstanding traits that describe a person’s behavior.
C. Secondary traits
- The least important traits, which a person may display inconspicuously and
inconsistently.
Allport relabeled it as traits
- These traits are weak that only a close friend would notice evidence of
them.
- Example: preference for a particular type of music or for a certain food
HABITS AND ATTITUDES
HABITS ▪ May combine to form a single trait
 ATTITUDES

• Have specific objects of reference and involve either positive or negative evaluations.

A person has an attitude toward something, They lead a person to like or hate, to
for example, toward red-haired people, a accept or reject, to approach or avoid
musical group, or a brand of athletic shoe an object.
MOTIVATION:
THE FUNCTIONAL AUTONOMY OF MOTIVES
FUNCTIONAL
AUTONOMY
• A general principle of
motivation stating that
during the performance
of purposeful, goal-
oriented behavior,
various derivative drives
emerge as independent
units from the original
drive that inspired the
behavior.
-Allport, 1973
TWO LEVELS OF FUNCTIONAL AUTONOMY:

PERSEVERATIVE FUNCTIONAL AUTONOMY

- The level of functional autonomy that relates to
low-level and routine behaviors.
PROPRIATE FUNCTIONAL AUTONOMY
- The level of functional autonomy that relates to our
values, self-image, and lifestyle.
PROPRIATE • Derive from the word “proprium” which
FUNCTIONAL means ego or self.
AUTONOMY • Propriate motives are unique to the
individual.
 Propriate functioning is an
organizing process that
maintains our sense of self.
o It is governed by these three principles:
1. Organizing the energy level
2. Mastery and competence
3. Propriate patterning
Not all behaviors
and motives
could be
explained by the
principles of
functional
autonomy.
PERSONALITY
DEVELOPMENT IN
CHILDHOOD:
THE UNIQUE SELF
 • Aspects of
personality that are
PROPRIUM distinctive and thus
appropriate to our
emotional life.
 Development of the Proprium:
STAGE DEVELOPMENT
1. Bodies self Stages 1-3 emerge during the first three years. In this stage, infants become aware of their
own existence and distinguish their own bodies from objects in the environment.
2. Self-identity Children realize that their identity remains intact despite the many changes that are taking
place .
3. Self-esteem Children learn to take pride in their accomplishments.
4. Extension of self Stages 4 and 5 emerge during the fourth through sixth year. In this stage, children come to
recognize the objects and people that are part of their own world.
5. Self-image Children develop actual and idealized images of themselves and their behavior and become
aware of satisfying or failing to satisfy parental expectations.
6. Self as rational coper Stage 6 develops during ages 6-12. Children begin to apply reason and logic to the solution
of everyday problems.
7. Propriate striving Stage 7 develops during adolescence. Young people begin to formulate long-range goals
and plans.
Adulthood Normal, mature adults are functionally autonomous, independent of childhood motives. They
function rationally in the present and consciously create their own lifestyles.
PARENT – CHILD
INTERACTIONS

• Infant-mother bond
– source of affection
and security.
 THE
HEALTHY
ADULT
PERSONALITY
 THE HEALTHY ADULT PERSONALITY
1. The mature adult extends his or her sense of self to people and to activities beyond
the self.
2. The mature adult relates warmly to other people, exhibiting intimacy, compassion,
and tolerance.
3. The mature adult’s self-acceptance helps him or her achieve emotional security.
4. The mature adult holds a realistic perception of life, develops personal skills, and
makes a commitment to some type of work.
5. The mature adult has a sense of humor and self-objectification.
6. The mature adult subscribes to a unifying philosophy of life, which is responsible
for directing the personality toward future goals.
 • Free will vs determinism
• Nature vs nurture
VIEW OF • Past experiences vs
HUMAN Present experiences
NATURE • Uniqueness vs Universality
• Equilibrium vs Growth
• Optimism vs Pessimism
ASSESSMENT OF
ALLPORT’S THEORY
PERSONAL – DOCUMENT
TECHNIQUE

- It involves examining diaries,

autobiographies, letters,
literary compositions, and
other samples of a person’s
written or spoken records to
determine the number and
kinds of personality traits.
 STUDY OF VALUES
VALUES EMPHASIS
1.
Theoretical values It is concerned with the discovery of truth and are characterized by an
empirical, intellectual, and rational approach to life.
1.
Economic values It is concerned with the useful and practical.
1.
Aesthetic values It is related to artistic experiences and to form, harmony, and grace.
1.
Social values It reflects human relationships, altruism, and philanthropy.
1.
Political values It deals with personal power, influence, and prestige in all endeavors, not just
in political activities.
1.
Religious values It is concerned with the mystical and with understanding the universe as a
whole