Gordon Allport’s Theory of Personality
Idiographic versus Nomothetic
Allport emphasized 2 ways to study behavior:
1.​ Behavior in terms of general principles, universal variables, and a large number of
subjects.
2.​ Individual case using methods and variables that are adequate to the uniqueness of each
person.
In labelling these 2 approaches to study of behavior, Allport borrowed the terms Idiographic
(individual) and Nomothetic (universal) from the German philosopher Windelband.
Later, Allport (1962) suggested substituting new terms, morphogenic for idiographic and
dimensional for nomothetic.
➢​ In American psychology, Nomothetic methods were widely used. Allport felt urgent need
for change to Morphogenic approach. The reason being, this approach will lead to better
prediction and understanding.
Allport’s inclination towards morphogenic approach makes sense because of his theoretical
position.
➔​ His emphasis upon the uniqueness of each person
➔​ His emphasis upon the importance of personal dispositions (individual traits) as the
primary determinants of behavior
So if these are the ‘real’ units of personality, and if they are characteristic of only a single person,
then clearly the most effective approach to the study of behavior will be a method of studying the
individual.
Allport recognized the importance of developing valid methods of studying the individual case,
but he made only a beginning in evolving such methods. In his own work, he has frequently used
dimensional methods rather than morphogenic.
Different morphogenic approaches: Used by Allport
➢​ The use of matching techniques in studies of expressive behavior employed by Allport
and Vernon (1933)
➢​ Structural analysis and Content analysis used by Allport (1965) in investigating the traits
of a woman from letters she wrote.
➢​ Allport’s interest in Personal documents (1942) to study behavior
Different morphogenic approaches by Other Investigators: (1962)
➢​ Q Methodology (Stephenson, 1953)
➢​ Individualized Questionnaires (Shapiro, 1961)
➢​ Self-Anchoring Scales (Kilpatrick and Cantril, 1960)
➢​ The role of Construct repertory test (Kelly, 1955)
➢​ Inverse Factor Analysis
Holt (1962) Challenged a number of Allport’s Key Points:
❖​ Art vs. Science in Studying Personality:​
Allport believed studying personality should be like creating a detailed artistic portrait
that captures the uniqueness of individuals. Holt disagreed, arguing that studying
personality should be more scientific. He suggested that personology should focus on
finding general patterns and principles about personality through systematic study, even
while acknowledging individual differences.
❖​ Problems with Describing Unique Traits:​
Holt pointed out that describing every individual’s traits uniquely is logically impossible.
If we made a new word for every unique trait, communication and understanding would
become chaotic (a “complete Babel”). On the other hand, if we use existing words, we
end up relying on general concepts, which is similar to using a universal (nomothetic)
approach. He argued that scientific descriptions can never fully capture the complexity of
reality because they always involve simplifying or abstracting ideas.
❖​ The Role of Determinism in Science:​
Holt argued that assuming determinism (the idea that all events, including personality
traits, are caused by specific factors) is essential for scientific research. He believed that
studying individual cases scientifically is valid, but learning general rules or laws from
just one case is very challenging, no matter how detailed the study.
In summary, Holt emphasized the need for a scientific, law-based approach to studying
personality, recognized the limitations of describing individuals completely, and stressed that
individual traits are lawful but complex to understand through isolated study.
Conclusion:
Allport believed psychologists should focus more on studying individual cases than they
typically did. He argued that the main responsibility of psychological researchers is to apply their
findings or insights, regardless of how they are obtained, to better understand individual people.
Although Allport's view was considered unusual or "deviant" at the time, it has since gained
widespread acceptance among modern psychologists, becoming a common perspective in the
field.