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 University he was involved in instructing many future Ph.D.s, among them Stanley MilgramMilgram, Stanley. (1977) The individual in a social world : essays and experiments. ISBN 0201043823..

Allport once visited Sigmund 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, Freud asked, "Was that little boy you? "

Freud, instead of taking it as a simple observation, took it to be an expression of some deep, unconscious process in Gordon’s mind. This made Allport realize that psychoanalysis sometimes digs too deeply. 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.

Gordon Willard Allport was the brother of Floyd Henry Allport.

See also

• Allport's scale

References

Literature

• Allport, Gordon: Becoming: Basic Considerations for a Psychology of Personality; Yale University Press, ISBN 0300000022
• Allport, Gordon: The Nature of Prejudice; Perseus Books, ISBN 0201001799 or Addison-Wesley, ISBN 0201001780
• Allport, Gordon: The Nature of Personality: Selected Papers; Greenwood Pub Group, ISBN 0837174325
• Allport, Gordon: Pattern and Growth in Personality; Harcourt College Pub., ISBN 0030108101
• Allport, Gordon: Psychology of Rumor; Russell & Russell Pub., ISBN 0846205645

American psychologists | 1897 births | 1967 deaths

Gordon Allport | Gordon Willard Allport | גורדון אולפורט | ゴードン・オールポート | Гордон Олпорт | Gordon Allport | Gordon Allport | Олпорт, Гордон