He consistently Introduction. Gordon Allport’s Trait Theory . He rejected two of the dominant schools of thought in psychology at the time, psychoanalysis and behaviorism, in favor of his own approach that stressed the importance of individual differences and situational variables. Allport came from a working family that valued health and education. Gordon Allport was a pioneering psychologist often referred to as one of the founders of personality psychology. Gordon Allport was one of the pioneer trait theorists who attempted to list the traits that make an individual's personality. Appointed a social science instructor at Harvard University in 1924, he became professor of psychology six years later and, in the last year of his life, professor of social ethics. Answer to: What was Gordon Allport's contribution to psychology? Having experienced the impact of different schools, Allport did not actually belong to any of them, and created his own. The essay also delineates Allport's biography and understanding of human nature. 1- Gordon Allport's trait theory represents a blend of humanistic and personalistic approaches to the study of human behavior. Do Great Leaders Share Certain Traits? The Contribution of Gordon Allport (1897-1967) to the Psychology of Religion* H. NEWTON MALONY Graduate School of Psychology Fuller Theological Seminary Pasadena, California. Since the time of William James, there have been very few renowned psychologists who studied the psychology of religion. Gordon Allport (1897 – 1967) was a well-respected and influential American scholar in the psychology field. Many writers are noting, and some are investigating, social stimulus and response, and the specific effect of a social environment upon individual reaction. Understanding Personality and Why It Matters. The Gordon Allport Intergroup Relations Prize honors the memory of the late Gordon W. Allport, a founder and past president of APA Division 9, the Society … From: JASA 23 (September 1971): 99-104. This resulted in Allport developing a great interest in understanding human motivation, impulses, and personality, resulting in his trait theory of personality. Gordon Allport wrote extensively in … Gordon Allport, American psychologist and educator who developed an original theory of personality. Slowly but surely, social psychology is coming into its own as the study of the social behavior of the individual. Gordon W. Allport made a major contribution to the Psychology of religion in distinguishing extrinsic religion (use of religion as a means to an end, e.g. Gordon Allport is an outstanding figure in the world of psychology, and now there is hardly a book on psychology of personality without a special chapter on his theory, or at least references to it. Understanding Gordon Allport’s Trait Theory of Personality. 1967) stands as one of the most important psychologists of the 20th century, and, in the 21st, he continues to influence crucial aspects of personality and social psychology as well as research methodology. Introduction. ... Gordon Allport and His Impact on Psychology of the Personality. 2- Allport regarded the trait as the most valid unit of analysis for understanding and studying personality.