Theories

One of the most well-known theories by Allport is Trait Theory. It emphasizes the originality of an individual and the predisposed biological processes that will influence behaviour, like habits, intelligence, and traits. He believed that personality is biologically determined at birth, but is shaped by the person’s environmental experience.

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In his book 'Personality: A Psychological Interpretation', Allport categorised personality traits into three main levels: cardinal, central and secondary. Cardinal traits are those that dominate a person’s life, and are most predominantly seen by other people, e.g. narcissistic. These, however, may prove to be quite rare. Central traits are those the form the foundation of an individual’s personality, e.g. shy. Lastly, secondary traits are those that may only be revealed by certain situations, e.g. state anxiety.

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At first, Allport had very little empirical evidence to back his research on trait theory. However, he later conducted research alongside his brother who was also a social psychologist, on approximately 50 male participants in college. The purpose of this research was to develop a measurable scale of testing personality, and after their investigation, they came to the conclusion that it is in fact possible to make one. In another study, Allport analysed letters by a woman he never met before. He asked a number of people to characterise Jenny (the woman from the letters) in terms of traits. From this study, Allport concluded that there is no presence of two opposite traits in one person and that traits cannot exist independently of one another.                   

Allport also wrote a book titled ‘The Nature of Prejudice’ which hugely impacted the field of between-groups relationships for those who studied social psychology. He talked about the subject of ethnic stereotyping, classing it as a case of “ordinary cognitive functioning”. During his study of prejudice, he conducted research specifically between white Protestant Americans and racial outgroups. Through his findings, he concluded that there is a dominant existence of racial profiling amongst the first group. The findings also showed that these prejudices were picked up at an early age through nurture, and strengthened throughout the person’s life. He also devised a scale of prejudice and discrimination, pictured above.