Question 1

Discuss Allport's concept of personal dispositions and explain how personal dispositions differ from traits.

Accepted Answer

A.Allport distinguished between common traits that are shared by two or more people and personal dispositions that are peculiar to one person.
B.Common traits allow for inter-individual comparisons,but personal dispositions are individual and do not permit inter-individual comparisons.One person's dominance is different from another person's dominance.
C.Allport identified three overlapping levels of personal dispositions: (1) cardinal, (2) central,and (3) secondary.
D.Cardinal dispositions are so obvious and dominating that they cannot be hidden from others.Not everyone has a cardinal disposition.Allport identified several historical and fictional people who possessed a cardinal disposition (for example,Don Juan,the Marquis de Sade,and Narcissus).
E.Allport believed that everyone has 5 to 10 central dispositions around which their lives revolve.These central dispositions should characterize a person in a variety of different situations.
F.Secondary dispositions may not be manifested in every situation,yet they occur with some regularity and are responsible for many of a person's behaviors.
G.Allport also divided personal dispositions into motivational dispositions,which are strongly felt and derive from basic needs,and stylistic dispositions,which refer to the manner in which a person behaves.Stylistic dispositions do not motivate behavior; rather,they guide behavior.

Question 2

Allport,if he were alive today,might object to the label "trait psychologist" because

Accepted Answer

Allport believed that focusing solely on traits precludes the recognition of individual uniqueness, which he considered an essential aspect of personality psychology. Therefore, he might object to the label "trait psychologist" because it oversimplifies his approach to studying personality.

Question 3

To Allport,the most important structures of personality are

Accepted Answer

Allport believed that personal disposition (individual characteristics that influence behavior across different situations) and proprium (a sense of an individual's self as a central organizing force) were the most important structures of personality. He did not focus on primary traits, secondary traits, cardinal traits, common traits, or superfactors as central elements of personality.

Question 4

Allport's notion that people are capable of consciously acting upon their environment in new and innovative ways that permit psychological growth is illustrated by

Accepted Answer

Allport's notion of conscious action on the environment is represented by proactive behavior, which involves taking initiative and actively shaping one's environment to achieve personal goals. Reactive behavior, on the other hand, involves responding to external stimuli without actively engaging with the environment in a purposeful way. Causality and determinism are broader philosophical concepts that are not directly related to Allport's specific psychological theories. Neurotic behavior is an example of maladaptive behavior and does not represent Allport's idea of conscious action and growth.

Question 5

Allport favored a view of personality that regards behavior as

Accepted Answer

Allport believed that behavior is proactive, meaning that individuals actively seek out opportunities to express their unique personalities and that behavior is not just a response to environmental factors. Allport's theory emphasizes the idea that people have an inherent drive to behave in ways that reflect their individuality and to pursue personal goals and interests.

Question 6

Allport's approach to personality can best be termed

Accepted Answer

The answer of Allport's approach to personality can best be...

Question 7

Allport's definition of personality included the notion of personality as

Accepted Answer

Allport's definition of personality emphasized that it is both dynamic and organized, meaning that it is constantly changing but also has underlying patterns and structures that give it coherence. The other options - B, C, and D - do not accurately reflect Allport's view of personality.

Question 8

"The dynamic organization within the individual of those psychophysical systems that determine his characteristic behavior and thought" is Allport's definition of

Accepted Answer

Allport's definition is a clear reference to personality, which is the set of enduring characteristics that differentiate individuals from one another in terms of behavior, thoughts, and emotions. While temperament and traits are also related to personality, they refer to more specific aspects of it, such as the innate tendencies or habitual patterns of behavior that a person displays. Personal disposition is a similar concept to personality, but it tends to emphasize the individual's internal disposition rather than their observable behavior. Therefore, the best choice based on Allport's definition is personality.

Question 9

Discuss Allport's concept of the psychologically healthy personality.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Discuss Allport's concept of the psychologically healthy...

Question 10

For Allport,which of the following is the most basic question underlying all personality theory?

Accepted Answer

Allport believed that the most fundamental question in personality theory is how to balance universal laws with individual uniqueness, emphasizing the importance of understanding both common traits and personal dispositions.

Question 11

Because Allport believed that a personality theory must be broad enough to encompass the growing,evolving individual as well as the static,adjustive person,he advocated the ______ approach to theory building.

Accepted Answer

Allport believed that personality theories should be broad enough to encompass both the evolving individual and the static, adjustive person, and therefore recommended an eclectic approach to theory building that draws from various sources and perspectives.

Question 12

For Allport,the human personality implies

Accepted Answer

Allport believed that the human personality was not just a fixed entity, but rather a dynamic process that involves both substance and change, order and diversification. Therefore, all the options - process and product, substance and change, order and diversification - are correct.

Question 13

Allport's principal concern in personality theory was with

Accepted Answer

Allport's principal concern in personality theory was with the uniqueness of the individual, emphasizing the importance of understanding individuals as idiosyncratic and distinct from each other, rather than grouping them into categories based on shared traits or characteristics.

Question 14

Allport called theories in which people are seen as being motivated primarily by needs to reduce tension and to return to a state of equilibrium as

Accepted Answer

The answer of Allport called theories in which people are...

Question 15

Allport's warning to other theorists,"(do not) forget what you have decided to neglect" reflects his

Accepted Answer

Allport's warning reflects his eclecticism, which means he valued integrating different theories and perspectives rather than strictly adhering to a single viewpoint. This statement encourages others to remain open to various aspects of human behavior, even those they might initially decide to overlook.

Question 16

When Allport was a young man,he spent a year teaching in Europe.On his return trip home,he visited with his brother Fayette and had a memorable meeting with

Accepted Answer

Allport had a memorable meeting with Sigmund Freud during his return trip from Europe. This encounter is often cited in psychological literature because it significantly influenced Allport's perspective on psychoanalysis and the development of his own theories in psychology.

Question 17

The term "character" originally meant

Accepted Answer

The term "character" originally meant a marking or engraving, specifically on a writing instrument like a pen or stylus. It later came to mean a distinctive mark or feature that makes someone or something recognizable or unique, and eventually evolved to also refer to a person's moral or ethical qualities. The other options (A, C, D) are not accurate definitions of the original meaning of "character."

Question 18

Allport criticized older theories of personality for

Accepted Answer

Allport criticized older theories of personality for neglecting the study of the psychologically healthy individual, focusing instead on abnormal psychology or maladaptive behaviors. He emphasized the importance of studying the individual as a whole, including positive aspects of personality.

Question 19

Describe Allport's theory of motivation through the concept of functional autonomy and give examples of functionally autonomous behaviors.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe Allport's theory of motivation through the...

Question 20

Which concept best describes Allport's view of personality?

Accepted Answer

Allport believed that each individual is unique and that personality is shaped by a combination of traits, traits being the basic building blocks of personality. This concept of uniqueness is central to Allport's view of personality.

Additional note: Choices A, B, and D do not accurately describe Allport's view of personality.

Quiz 12: Allport: Psychology of the Individual