The dispositional direction of personology is based on two main principles:
1. People have a certain set of predispositions to react in a certain way in different situations. These predispositions are dispositions or personality traits . This means that people have a certain constancy in their actions, thoughts and emotions. Personality traits people carry through their lives that belong to them and are inalienable from them.
2. No two people are exactly alike. The main theorist of dispositionalism - Gordon Allport - believed that each person is unique and its uniqueness can best be understood through the definition of specific personality traits.
Allport's main task was precisely the definition of the very concept of personality. In his first book, Personality: A Psychological Interpretation, Allport analyzed over 50 different definitions of personality. As a result, Allport concludes " Personality is an objective reality However, such a definition is extremely inaccurate, so Allport develops it. " Personality is a dynamic organization of all psychophysical systems within an individual that determine his characteristic behavior and thinking. ". Importantly, Allport focuses on dynamism personality. Thus, personality is not a static entity; human behavior is constantly changing and evolving. At the same time, Allport emphasizes that both purely mental and somatic elements are present in the structure of personality. In addition, personality, according to Allport, is not a finished picture, but a certain channel in which a person functions and develops.
Allport noted that the terms "character" and "temperament" are often used as synonyms for personality.
Character in Allport's understanding, it is the social side of the psyche, associated primarily with moral standards or a system of values. Character, in fact, is an ethical concept.
Temperament, on the contrary, is a certain primary material from which a personality is built. Temperament includes mainly genetically determined aspects of a person's emotionality. Temperament is one of the units of a person's giftedness, so it can stimulate or limit the development of a person.
personality trait
Allport in his concept derives the concept personality traits , which he considered the most valid unit of analysis for the study of personality. A personality trait is a neuropsychic structure capable of transforming many functionally equivalent stimuli, as well as stimulating and directing equivalent forms of behavior. Thus, personality trait - the tendency to behave in a similar way in a wide range of situations .
For example, if a person is sociable, then he will chat endlessly at home, at work, and among friends. Allport's theory states that human behavior is relatively stable over time and in a variety of situations.
Traits are psychological features, transforming many stimuli and causing many similar reactions. This understanding of a trait means that a variety of stimuli can elicit the same responses, just as many responses can have the same functional value.
Personality traits are characterized by the following properties:
1. A personality trait is not only a designation, it exists in reality and plays an important role in the life of every person.
2. A personality trait is something more generalized than a habit or conditioned reflex. In fact, personality traits predetermine the development of habits, and habits, merged together, form a personality trait (for example, neatness).
3. A personality trait is a defining element of behavior. Personality traits encourage such forms of behavior in which these traits would be most fully manifested.
4. The existence of personality traits can be established empirically. Although personality traits cannot be observed directly, they can be "hunted down" by examining the anamnesis or medical history, biography, and also statistically.
5. A personality trait is only relatively independent of other traits, i.e. The features seem to overlap. For example, insight and a sense of humor are very related, although they are still different things.
6. A personality trait can act as an individual and as a typological characteristic. In the first case, it is necessary to consider the influence of a particular trait on the life of an individual, and in the second, to build a valid school on this trait and, on its basis, study individual typological differences.
8. The fact that actions or even a habit are not consistent with a personality trait does not mean its absence. This discrepancy may be due to temporal or causal factors.
The listed properties of traits refer to the so-called common personality traits , which are to some extent inherent in all people and, in essence, are easily changed and can be used to compare people with each other. In addition to common features, there are so-called individual, i.e. those that do not allow comparison with other people.
Allport proposed to distinguish three types of dispositions (personality traits):
1. Cardinal dispositions are so characteristic of a person that almost all human behavior can be reduced to its influence. Such a trait cannot remain hidden; it is always noticeable to others. Examples of the existence of cardinal dispositions are the so-called. charismatic personalities: Scrooge, Don Juan, Machiavelli.
2. Central dispositions. Not so comprehensive, but still quite striking personality traits. These are the special building blocks of personality. The central dispositions can be compared to those main qualities that we give in the summary. The number of central dispositions is relatively small. Herbert Wells believed that there were only two of them: the desire for order and the opposite sex.
3. Secondary dispositions. These are less noticeable, less generalized, less stable and less suitable for characterizing personality traits. These are, for example, preferences in food and clothing.
proprium
Of course, the personality traits themselves, shared among themselves, do not give a holistic characterization of the personality. There must be something that unites and cements individuality. These are terms of such a level as ego or lifestyle. These terms are very imprecise and contain a lot of semantic ambiguities. Therefore, Allport introduces a new term - proprium.
Proprium represents the positive, creative, growth-seeking and evolving quality of the individual. This is the quality of the personality, which a person, on the basis of subjective experience, realizes as the main thing. In fact, proprium is an analogue self Cabin boy. Allport believed that proprium is not given to a person from birth, but develops through seven stages. During each stage, so-called propriotic functions , and as a result of their final consolidation, the Ego is formed.
1. During the first year of life, babies become aware of many sensations that come from muscles, tendons, etc. These repetitive sensations form bodily self . As a result, babies begin to distinguish themselves from other objects. Allport believed that the bodily self serves as the basis for self-awareness.
2. self-identity . This is the second aspect of the proprium that develops when the child becomes aware of himself as a definite and permanently important person. The most important point in the formation of self-identity is the awareness of one's name. But at this moment, self-identity is not completely formed, but continuously develops until it stabilizes in maturity.
3. self esteem . It is formed during the third year of life and arises from the fact that the child does something on his own. Thus, self-esteem depends on the child's success in fulfilling the tasks of his parents.
In contrast to self-esteem, a sense of shame can form. As a result of 4-5 years, self-esteem becomes a sense of competition and depends on the recognition of peers.
4. Self Expansion . Begins at about 4 years of age. It is connected with the fact that the child understands that not only his body belongs to him, but also the surrounding objects. The child begins to understand the meaning of property. Understands the word "mine".
5. self image . It develops at about 5-6 years of age. The child understands that his parents, teachers, friends, etc. want to see him "like that". At this age, the child begins to understand the difference between "I'm good" and "I'm bad." However, the image of the adult "I" is not sufficiently developed at this age. The child does not clearly understand the difference between "I am" and "I should be."
6. Rationality . From the age of 6 until the onset of adolescence, the child realizes that he is able to make decisions and effectively manage his behavior. Collective and formal thinking appears. But the child still does not trust himself enough, he believes that his family, relatives and peers are always right. This stage of proprium development is characterized by high conformism, moral and social obedience.
7. Propriative desire . Formed during adolescence. the main problem teenager - find yourself life goals and aspirations. A teenager realizes that the future can not only be “wanted”, but also organized. However, in youth and early maturity, this desire is not fully developed, and therefore a new stage in the search for self-identity, a new self-consciousness, unfolds.
In addition to those described, Allport proposed another stage in the development of proprium - self-knowledge . He argued that this aspect of the proprium stands above all others and synthesizes them. Self-knowledge allows a person to realize objective side his "I".
American psychological science gave the world many outstanding scientists who became the founders of the leading directions modern psychology. One of them was Gordon Willard Allport (1897-1967).
In his numerous studies, he tried to understand the psychology of human behavior, to study the goals that he sets for himself and individual psychological characteristics that distinguish one person from another, the path of development of the human personality and itself.
In the works of G. Allport, the achievements of the leading modern trends in psychology - behaviorism and psychoanalysis - are combined with the results of his own observations and research. The scientist himself saw the next task of his research - "To reduce the differences between the philosophies of man and establish a scale of their probable truth." Therefore, in his works, he paid the main attention to the human personality, its formation and development.
After studying various interpretations and definitions of the human personality, from ancient times to the present, G. Allport identified the 50 most significant. Taking them as a basis and summing up his own observations, he offered his own - one of the best so far.
"Personality is the dynamic organization of psychophysical systems within the individual, which determines his unique behavior and thinking."
The dynamism of personality is manifested in the fact that a person in any life is ready for changes and development. In contrast to many psychoanalysts, G. Allport argued that at any moment of development, a person, contrary to past experience, can change himself and his own. The basis of this property is a person to self-consciousness, i.e. the ability of oneself and one's actions and to predict their probable consequences.
The unit of study of personality is a certain "personality trait". A trait is a certain property of a person, which manifests itself in the daily reactions and actions of a person, in his thoughts and attitudes to the phenomena of the world around him. The traits are quite stable and equally manifest in a wide range of situations. At one time, G. Allport singled out up to 1000 personality traits. Among them, one can single out the dominant ones - the main ones, which determine the most important actions of a person and secondary subordinates. All human traits are interconnected with each other, which creates the uniqueness of each person.
G. Allport was categorically against summing up people under any general types, believing that in this way we lose human individuality. Each one manifests itself in a peculiar way in each individual, and we cannot, calling one person sympathetic and kind, apply this definition to the same extent to another person. For each of them, these traits and their manifestation will be different, because in their personalities there are other characteristics that determine the uniqueness and originality of the manifestation of a particular trait by this particular person in this situation. The role of the situation and in general the context in which human life takes place is very great. It is from a certain situation that a human personality manifests itself; without a situation, there is no human personality. All traits and properties, being "inside", and we can not judge their presence in any way without seeing their manifestation in life.
In order to understand the human personality, it is also necessary to trace its life, albeit the entire dynamics of human development, studying his biography, to understand the interaction of various features and their combinations. Only then can we confidently assert that we understand the logic of human actions and behavior.
G. Allport's innovation also manifested itself in the object of study. The object of research for him was a mentally healthy person. It should be noted that at the beginning of the century in personality psychology, the main experimental material was obtained from the observations of psychiatrists of mentally ill people, or people in need of serious help from a psychotherapist. Freud, Jung and many other psychologists followed this path. G. Allport, recognizing the merits of this approach, believed that first of all it was necessary to study a healthy personality, and in his research he was guided by this very principle.
G. Allport paid special attention to the human personality in all age dynamics of development. In understanding life path and the psychological maturation of the personality on the way to maturity, he remained true to himself, trying to avoid the radicalism of other psychological trends that believed that a person in his development is dependent on childhood experiences and complexes (Psychoanalysis) or is a product of external stimuli and situations (behaviorism). According to G. Allport, a mature, healthy person is distinguished by accepting himself as he is, has the ability to self-knowledge, has an integral philosophy of life, demonstrates emotional maturity and the ability to have warm feelings of the heart, and also has a healthy sense of humor.
Human development is a dynamic process that continues throughout life, which means that a person is neither a hostage of his heredity nor completely dependent on the situation of development. Having the freedom of choice, which can be obtained by developing the ability to self-knowledge, a person is able at any moment of life to direct personal development to maturity.
With his work on the nature of the human personality, G. Allport became a pioneer who laid the foundations humanistic psychology and understanding of the psychology of a healthy personality. His ideas influenced the formation of views on the nature of the mental of many well-known psychologists, in particular, K. Rogers, A. Maslow, R. May and many others.
Prepared by psychologist
Savchenko Oleg (Sevastopol)
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Category: DIRECTIONS OF PSYCHOLOGY » General psychology
At the core dispositional direction There are two general ideas in the study of personality.
The first is that people have a wide range of predispositions to respond in certain ways in different situations (that is, personality traits).
The second main idea of the dispositional direction has to do with the fact that no two people are exactly alike.
One of the most influential proponents of the dispositional trend, Gordon Allport, believed that each person is unique and that its uniqueness can best be understood through the definition of specific personality traits. Much attention is paid to how human behavior is influenced by cognitive and motivational processes.
Gordon Allport: dispositional theory of personality 1. What is personality
"Man is an objective reality." This definition is as comprehensive as it is inaccurate. Recognizing this, Allport went a little further in his statement that “personality is something, and it does something. Personality is what lies behind concrete actions within the individual himself.
"Personality is a dynamic organization of those psychophysical systems within the individual that determine his characteristic behavior and thinking."
First, "dynamic organization" suggests that human behavior is constantly evolving and changing; according to Allport's theory, the personality is not a static entity, although there is some underlying structure that unifies and organizes the various elements of the personality.
The word "characteristic" in Allport's definition only reflects the paramount importance he attaches to the uniqueness of any person. In his personological system, there are no two people alike.
And finally, the words "behavior and thinking" refer to all types of human activity. Allport believed that personality expresses itself in one way or another in all observable manifestations of human behavior.
Giving this conceptual definition, Allport noted that the terms character And temperament often used as synonyms for personality. The word "character" is traditionally associated with a certain moral standard or value system, according to which the actions of an individual are evaluated. According to Allport, character is estimated personality, and personality is not rated character. Therefore, character should not be viewed as a separate area within the personality. Temperament, on the contrary, is the "primary material" (along with the intellect and physical constitution) from which the personality is built.
Personality trait concept
Allport defined a trait as "a neuropsychic structure capable of translating multiple functionally equivalent stimuli and of stimulating and directing equivalent (largely stable) forms of adaptive and expressive behavior." Simply put, a trait is a predisposition to behave in a similar way in a wide range of situations. Traits are psychological characteristics that transform many stimuli and cause many equivalent responses. This understanding of a trait means that a variety of stimuli can evoke the same responses, just as many responses (feelings, sensations, interpretations, actions) can have the same functional significance.
According to Allport, personality traits are not associated with a small number of specific stimuli or responses; they are generalized and persistent. By providing similarity in responses to multiple stimuli, personality traits confer significant consistency in behavior. Allport acknowledges that personality traits are reinforced in social situations and adds, "Any theory that sees personality as something stable, fixed, unchanging is wrong."
It should be emphasized, however, that personality traits do not lie dormant in anticipation of external stimuli. In fact, people actively seek out social situations that contribute to the manifestation of their features.
"features" traits
It can be said that in Allport's system, personality traits themselves are characterized by "features", or defining characteristics. Shortly before his death, Allport published an article entitled "Personality Traits Revisited" in which he summarized all the data that could answer the question, "What is a personality trait?" In this article, he proposed eight main criteria for its determination.
1. A personality trait is not just a nominal designation. Personality traits are not fiction; they are a very real and vital part of the existence of any person.
2. A personality trait is a more general quality than a habit. Personality traits determine the relatively unchanging and general features of our behavior. Habits, being enduring, refer to more specific tendencies, and therefore they are less generalized both in terms of the situations that "trigger" them into action, and in relation to the behavioral responses caused by them.
3. A personality trait is a driving or at least defining element of behavior.
4. The existence of personality traits can be established empirically. Despite the fact that personality traits cannot be observed directly, Allport pointed out the possibility of confirming their existence. Evidence can be obtained through observations of human behavior.
5. A personality trait is only relatively independent of other traits.
6. A personality trait is not synonymous with moral or social evaluation. Despite the fact that many traits (eg, sincerity, loyalty, greed) are subject to conventional social evaluation, they still represent the true characteristics of the individual.
7. A trait can be viewed either in the context of the individual in whom it is found, or in terms of its prevalence in society.
8. The fact that actions or even habits are not consistent with a personality trait is not proof that the trait does not exist.
Common features compared to individual
In their early works Allport distinguished between general features and individual. The first (also called measurable or legitimized) include any characteristics shared by any number of people within a given culture.
Individual traits (also called morphological) denote those characteristics of an individual that cannot be compared with other people. These are the "genuine neuropsychic elements that govern, guide, and motivate certain adaptive behaviors." This category of traits, which manifest themselves uniquely in each individual, most accurately reflects his personality structure.
The dispositional direction assumes that people have certain stable internal qualities that persist over time and in different situations. Individuals differ from each other in their characterological features.
Allport put forward the theory of personality traits, the main task of psychology is to explain the uniqueness of a person.
Personality is a dynamic organization of those internal mental processes that define her characteristic behavior and thinking.
A personality trait is a predisposition to respond in similar ways to different kinds of stimuli.
Characteristics of personality traits:
a feature is not only a nominal designation, i.e. traits are real
a trait is a more general quality than a habit(habit refers to specific tendencies)
the trait moves or, at least, defines behavior
the existence of a trait can be established empirically(long-term follow-up, biographies, statistical methods)
trait is only relatively independent of other traits, in reality they overlap each other
trait is not synonymous with moral/social assessment, this is a true feature of a person and it must be described in neutral words
trait can be seen as in the context of personality, in which it is observed, as well as its distribution in society
the fact that actions are not consistent with a personality trait is not evidence of the absence of this trait(traits can be contradictory, a trait can only appear in certain areas)
Trait types:
ü general - any characteristics inherent in a certain number of people within a given culture (ability to use the language, political / social attitudes, value orientations, anxiety, conformism), i.e. traits by which people can be compared (= personality traits)
ü individual - such characteristics that do not allow comparisons with other people; unique traits that reflect the structure of the personality (=individual dispositions)
Types of individual dispositions:
ÿ cardinal - so permeates a person that all actions can be reduced to its influence
ÿ central - not so comprehensive, but striking characteristics (one person has 5-10)
ÿ secondary - even less noticeable, even less generalized, less stable (a person never behaves obediently, except when he is kicked by a cop)
A comprehensive construct that unites personality traits and gives direction to a person's life is proprium.
Proprium development stages:
1) bodily self - awareness of bodily sensations (infant)
2) self-identity - the immutability and continuity of the I, regardless of the changes taking place (the child learned his name)
3) self-esteem - pride in one's own achievements
4) expansion of the self - I begin to capture important aspects of the social and physical environment (my ball)
5) self-image - the goals and aspirations of the individual begin to reflect the expectations of others significant people(5-6 years old, "I'm bad")
6) rational self-management - abstract reasoning and the application of logic to solve everyday problems
7) propriative aspiration - a holistic sense of self and planning for long-term goals (teenager)
8) knowing oneself - stands above all seven stages
Personality is a dynamic (motivated) developing system. The motives of an adult are not connected with the experience of past experiences from which they originally arose - concept of functional autonomy.
Types of functional autonomy:
A. sustainable functional autonomy is associated with mechanisms feedback V nervous system– repetitive activities (eating and going to bed at the same time)
B. own functional autonomy - acquired interests, values, attitudes, intentions.
The processes of one's own autonomy are subject to the 3rd psychological principles:
· energy level organization principle- own autonomy is possible because the level of energy that a person possesses exceeds the level necessary for survival and adaptation.
· principle of overcoming and competence- Mature people are inherently motivated to overcome and learn from the world around them for themselves, as well as the implementation of their goals.
· the principle of building a propriotic system- own motives are rooted in the structure of the Self, so a person organizes his life around a proprium to strengthen the Self, rejecting everything else.
Mature personality:
· has wide boundaries I - can look at myself from the outside, has a hobby, is interested in political and religious issues, etc.
capable of warm, cordial social relationships - can show friendship and empathy, which is manifested in tolerance for differences between themselves and others
Demonstrates emotional non-concern and self-acceptance - has a positive attitude towards oneself, is tolerant of one's own shortcomings, knows how to cope with one's own emotional states
Demonstrates realistic perceptions, experiences and claims - sees things as they are, not as he would like them to be
Demonstrates self-awareness and a sense of humor
· has a solid philosophy of life - sees a holistic picture due to a clear, systematic and consistent allocation of significant in own life; a whole philosophy of life provides a kind of dominant value orientation that gives meaning and meaning to almost everything a person does
Ordon Allport: dispositional theory of personality.
What is a personality.
In his first book, Personality: A Psychological Interpretation, Allport described and classified over 50 different definitions of personality. As a result of repeated adjustments, he proposed a definition of personality: "Personality is the dynamic organization of those psychophysical systems within the individual that determine his characteristic behavior and thinking." Allport notes that the terms character and temperament have often been used interchangeably with personality, and explains how each can be easily distinguished from personality itself. The word "character" is traditionally associated with a certain moral standard or value system, according to which the actions of an individual are evaluated. Those. character is a valued personality, and personality is an unappreciated character. Temperament, on the contrary, is the "primary material" (along with the intellect and the physical constitution) from which the personality is built. Allport considered this notion to be especially important when discussing the hereditary aspects of the emotional nature of the individual.
Personality trait concept.
Any person behaves with a certain constancy and not like others. Allport explains this in his concept of "trait", which he considered the most valid "unit of analysis" for studying what people are and how they differ from each other in their behavior. Allport defines a trait as "a neuropsychic structure capable of translating a variety of functionally equivalent stimuli and of stimulating and directing equivalent (largely stable) forms of adaptive and expressive behavior." Those. A trait is a predisposition to behave in a similar way in a wide range of situations.
Traits are psychological features that transform a set of stimuli and cause a set of equivalent responses. A variety of stimuli can evoke the same responses, just as many responses (feelings, sensations, interpretations, actions) can have the same functional significance. Many situations perceived by a person as equivalent give impetus to the development of a certain trait, which then itself initiates and builds various types of behavior that are equivalent in their manifestations to this trait. This concept of the equivalence of stimulus and responses, united and mediated by trait, is the main component of Allport's theory of personality. It should be emphasized that personality traits do not lie dormant in anticipation of external stimuli. People actively seek out social situations that contribute to the manifestation of their characteristics. Allport offers 8 main criteria for determining a personality trait:
1. Personality traits are not only a nominal designation, they are a real and vital part of the existence of any person.
2. A personality trait is a more general quality than a habit. Personality traits determine relatively unchanged and common features behavior.
3. Personality traits are driving or at least defining elements of behavior. They encourage people to such behavior in which these personality traits are most fully manifested.
4. The existence of personality traits can be established empirically through observations of human behavior for a long time.
5. The personality trait is only relatively independent of other traits. There is no sharp boundary separating one trait from another, rather a personality is a set of overlapping traits.
6. A personality trait is not synonymous with moral or social evaluation.
7. A trait can be considered either in the context of the individual in whom it is found, or in terms of its prevalence in society.
8. The fact that actions or even habits are not consistent with a personality trait is not proof of the absence of this trait. This is explained by the fact that not every person's features have the same degree of integration, the same person may have contradictory features, in addition, there are cases when behavior is determined to a greater extent by social conditions than by personality traits.
Allport distinguished between common features and individual ones.
Common traits (measurable, legitimized) include any characteristics shared by any number of people within a given culture.
Individual traits (morphological) denote those characteristics of an individual that do not allow comparisons with other people. This category of traits, which manifest themselves uniquely in each individual, most accurately reflects his personality structure.
Types of individual dispositions (three types of personality traits).
Individual traits are individual dispositions.
1. cardinal disposition (main passion) - so permeates a person that almost all his actions can be reduced to its influence. Allport argued that very few people have a cardinal disposition.
2. central dispositions are not so comprehensive, but still quite striking characteristics of a person, these are the building blocks of personality. Central dispositions are tendencies in a person's behavior that others can easily detect.
3. secondary dispositions - traits are less noticeable, less generalized, less stable. This should include preferences in food and clothing, special attitudes and situational characteristics of a person. Allport noted that one must know a person very intimately in order to discover his secondary dispositions.
The concept of personality includes the unity, structure and integration of all aspects of individuality, giving it originality. Therefore, it can be assumed that there is a certain principle that organizes attitudes, assessments, motives, sensations and inclinations into a single whole. According to Allport, in order to solve the problem of cognition and description of the nature of personality, constructs of such a level of generalization as ego or lifestyle are needed. But all these terms contain too many ambiguous side shades of meaning and semantic ambiguities, so Allport introduces a new term - proprium. Proprium is a positive, creative, growth-seeking and evolving property of human nature. We are talking about such a part of subjective experience as "mine", i.e. it is nothing but the self. Allport believed that the proprium encompasses all aspects of the personality that contribute to the formation of a sense of inner unity, and identified seven different aspects of the "self" involved in the development of the proprium from childhood to adulthood. These propriotic functions evolve slowly, and as a result of their final consolidation, the “I” is formed as an object of subjective cognition and sensation. The following distinctive personality functions are presented in the order of their successive appearance in the developing individual:
1. the feeling of one's body - the corporeal self - as a result, infants begin to distinguish themselves from other objects.
2. a sense of self-identity (the immutability and continuity of the "I", regardless of the changes taking place) - when through the language the child realizes himself as a definite and constantly important person.
3. a sense of self-esteem - a sense of pride that a child experiences when he does something on his own.
4. expansion of the self - "I" begins to cover important aspects of the social and physical environment (starting at about 4-6 years of age). Children gain this experience as they begin to realize that they own not only their own physical body, but also certain significant elements of the world around them, including people.
5. self-image - the goals and aspirations of the individual begin to reflect the expectations of other significant people - begins to develop at the age of 5-6.
6. rational self-management - abstract reasoning and application of logic to solve everyday problems - between 6 and 12 years the child begins to understand that he is able to find rational solutions life problems and deal effectively with the demands of reality, but he does not yet trust himself enough to be morally independent. This stage of proprium development reflects strong conformity, moral and social obedience.
7. Propriative striving - a holistic sense of "I" and planning for long-term goals.
In addition, Allport proposed another aspect - self-knowledge - which stands above all the others and synthesizes them.
The main idea in Allport's theory is that the individual is a dynamic (motivated) developing system. He offered his own analysis of motivation, listing the requirements that an adequate theory of motivation must meet:
1. She must recognize the consistency of motives over time
2. she must acknowledge existence various kinds motives
3. it must recognize the dynamic power of cognitive processes (Allport great importance cognitive processes and, in particular, future planning and aspirations)
4. She must recognize the real uniqueness of motives
The necessary foundation for the theory of motivation is provided by the concept of functional autonomy, which means that the motives of a mature person are not determined by past motives, i.e. the reasons why an adult behaves one way or another do not depend on what reasons originally prompted him to such behavior. According to Allport, a person is free from the past - connections with the past are historical, not functional. The original cause of the behavior is no more, but the behavior persists - this is the essence of the concept of functional autonomy.
Allport distinguished between two types of functional autonomy:
1. sustainable functional autonomy is associated with feedback mechanisms in the nervous system. These neurophysiological mechanisms do not change over time and help keep the body functioning.
2. own functional autonomy refers to the person's acquired interests, values, attitudes and intentions. This main system motivation, which provides constancy in the desire of a person to match with the internal image of himself and achieve more high level maturity and personal growth.
The processes of one's own autonomy are subject to three psychological principles:
1. principle of organization of the energy level: one's own autonomy is possible because the level of energy that a person possesses exceeds what is necessary to satisfy the need for survival and adaptation.
2. the principle of overcoming and competence: mature people are intrinsically motivated to overcome and learn from the world around them for themselves, as well as to achieve their goals. Therefore, any behavior leading to an increase in the level of competence of the individual is included in the circuit of his own motivation.
3. the principle of building a propriotic system: all own motives are rooted in the structure of the "I" of the individual. As a result, a person organizes his life around the proprium in the name of the goal of strengthening the "I", rejecting all others.
Allport believed that human maturation is a continuous process of becoming. He also saw a qualitative difference between a mature personality and an immature (neurotic) one. A psychologically mature person is characterized by six features:
1. a mature person has wide boundaries of "I", can look at himself "from the outside"
2. A mature person is capable of warm, cordial social relationships: friendly intimacy and sympathy.
3. A mature person demonstrates emotional unconcern and self-acceptance.
4. mature person demonstrates realistic perception, experience and claims
5. a mature person demonstrates the ability for self-knowledge and a sense of humor
a mature person has a whole philosophy of life.
Allport gave the most accurate definition of personality: “Personality is the dynamic organization of those psychophysical systems within the individual that determine his characteristic behavior and thinking” (, p. 273). The expression "psychophysical systems" indicates that in the description of the personality, both elements of the "mind" and elements of the "body" should be taken into account.
According to Allport, in order to solve the problem of cognition and description of the nature of a personality, constructs of such a level of generalization as ego or lifestyle are needed, which allow one to characterize a personality in its individual identity (, p. 273). Since these terms are rather vague and contain ambiguities, Allport introduces a new term - proprium. Proprium is a positive, creative, growth-seeking, and evolving quality of human nature. This is the quality "realized as the most important and central." We are talking about such a subjective part of the experience, which we can define as "mine". Otherwise, it is defined as a self. According to Allport, proprium covers all aspects of the personality that contribute to the formation of a sense of inner unity; this is some organizing and unifying force, the purpose of which is the formation of the uniqueness of human life. Allport identified seven different aspects of the "self" involved in the development of the proprium from childhood to adulthood - the so-called Propriotic Functions:
Feeling own body as the bodily basis of self-consciousness.
A sense of self-respect based on the realization of success in achieving various goals.
Feeling of self-identity.
The expansion of the self through the awareness of external objects as "mine" or "associated with me."
Self-image, the ability to represent yourself and think about yourself.
Rational self-management.
Propriative desire, expressed in setting and achieving long-term goals and in the process of self-improvement (, pp. 283-285).
Exactly the full, natural formation of these aspects of the self provides the individual with health and maturity. So the gradual disclosure in the individual of the listed propriotic functions can be recognized as the main condition for healthy development. They slowly evolve, and as a result of their final consolidation, the Self is formed as an object of subjective cognition and self-perception. When something interferes with the development of these functions, there is a risk that the self will begin to deform and there will be real difficulties in gaining psychological maturity for the individual.
Allport saw a qualitative difference between a mature, healthy person and an immature, or neurotic, person. He believed that personal growth is a continuous, lifelong process of becoming. In Allport's understanding, psychologically a mature person is characterized by six features:
A mature person has wide boundaries of the Self. The ability to look at oneself "from the outside"; Active participation in work, family and social relations; interest in everything that a person considers significant for himself.
A mature person is capable of warm, cordial social relationships. They apply to family members, loved ones, friends. Tolerance for differences between self and others, genuine respect for others and recognition of their position.
A mature person demonstrates emotional stability and self-acceptance. The ability to manage one's own emotional states (such as feelings of depression, anger, guilt) without compromising the well-being of others. A positive self-image, the ability to tolerate what irritates, disappoints (including one's own shortcomings) without becoming embittered internally and without becoming hardened.
A mature person demonstrates realistic perception, experience and aspirations. The ability to see things as they are, and not as we would like them to be. Adequate perception of reality, refusal to distort facts for the sake of one's imagination or need. Required qualifications in their field of activity. Striving to achieve personally meaningful but realistic goals.
A mature person demonstrates the ability for self-knowledge and a sense of humor. A clear idea of your strengths and weaknesses. The ability to laugh at oneself, one's own miscalculations, unfounded claims, excessive self-confidence and short-sightedness.
A mature person has a whole philosophy. Determining and following the main life orientation. The ability to see the whole picture through a clear, systematic and consistent selection of significant from one's own life. The formation of a value system containing the main goal, which makes a person's life purposeful and meaningful. The presence of a unifying philosophy of life, giving meaning to almost everything that a person does.
Allport saw personal growth as an active process of becoming, in which the individual assumes some responsibility for planning the course of his life. Direction or intention is the cement that holds together human life, i.e. for good functioning, a person needs to determine the goal to which he aspires (, p. 288). Freedom, according to this concept, is expressed in responsible planning of one's life, proactivity, determination of priority goals and a single focus, the aspiration of the individual, making it more whole. These aspects of individual freedom are decisive for progressive development and personal growth.
Allport minimized the role of the influence of the unconscious on the mental health of an adult. He was of the opinion that a healthy (normal) person is guided in his behavior by rational motives, and this distinguishes him from neurotics, who live in accordance with the impulses of the unconscious. According to the time vector, a healthy person lives not only in the past, but also in the present and future.
So, in the light of Allport's theory, health is identical personal maturity, which is acquired in the process of personal growth and involves:
Formation of propriotic functions (or integrative aspects of the self).
Freedom, expressed in responsible self-determination.
Proactivity and purposefulness.
An integral philosophy of life or worldview based on a certain system of values.
