Gordon Allport's Life and Personality Traits

Gordon Allport

• Born on November 11, 1897, in Montezuma, Indiana
• Youngest of four brothers, described as shy, hard-working, and studious
• Parents: mother was a schoolteacher, father was a doctor who instilled a strong work ethic

Personality Traits

• Cardinal traits: dominant traits that are rare and shape an individual's personality
• Central traits: common traits that make up our personalities, such as kindness, honesty, and friendliness
• Secondary traits: traits that appear only under certain conditions and circumstances, such as getting nervous before a speech

The Growth and Development of Religion

• Each person's religious faith is unique and personal
• Religion means something different to each individual, despite sharing the same denominational name and creed

Religious Maturity

• Based on two processes: functional autonomy (1937) and propriate striving (1955)
• Functional autonomy: inherent in normal development
• Propriate striving: integral to the roots of religion and conscious determination

Erik Homburger Erikson

• Born on June 15, 1902, as Erik Salomonsen
• Died on May 12, 1994, at the age of 91, in Harwich, Massachusetts
• American child psychoanalyst known for his theory on psychosocial development
• Coined the phrase "identity crisis"

Psychosocial Development

• Theory: each stage of life is associated with a specific psychological struggle
• Struggle contributes to a major aspect of personality
• Epigenetic principle: all people go through eight stages that contribute to a major aspect of personality