Problem 10 - An Introduction to Theories of Personality

Question

A terrorist blows up a building in a hated foreign country. How might Allport explain the terrorist's behavior?

Step-by-Step Solution

Answer

According to Allport's theory, the terrorist's behavior can be explained by their personal traits and present dominant motivational pattern. The act of terrorism may reflect a cardinal trait of hatred towards the foreign country, driven by current negative sentiments.

Step 1: Introduction to Allport’s Theory

Allport's theory of personality emphasizes the uniqueness of the individual and the internal cognitive and motivational processes that influence behavior. Personal traits, which according to Allport, are the basic units of personality, play a critical role in determining human behavior.

Step 2: Role of Traits

Allport categorized traits into cardinal, central, and secondary. Cardinal traits dominate an individual's whole life, central traits define basic personality, and secondary traits are more related to attitudes or preferences. The terrorist's act can be modeled as a cardinal trait, where the belief or value system is so deeply ingrained that it dominates their actions.

Step 3: Understanding the Hatred-Based Actions

According to Allport, extreme behaviors like perpetrating terror are fueled by a dominant motivational pattern. Here, the terrorist's destructive act might be seen as an extension of his cardinal trait of hatred towards the foreign country.

Step 4: Role of Motivation

Allport also proposes that human behaviors are driven by the present motives and not past ones, by conscious motives, more than unconscious ones. In the case of the terrorist, his current negative sentiments towards the foreign country could have motivated the act.

Key Concepts

Cardinal Traits

Cardinal traits are those characteristics that so profoundly define a person's behavior and personality that their name becomes almost synonymous with those traits. In Gordon Allport's theory, these are not common traits; rather, they are so distinctive that they shape virtually all of a person's actions. It's as if the trait has a gravitational pull, influencing every decision, thought, and feeling.

Using the example of the terrorist in the exercise, if hatred or fanaticism were considered his cardinal trait, this would be the lens through which he views all of his experiences and interactions. This single powerful trait can overshadow all other personality traits, pushing a person to acts that align with this cardinal trait, such as committing an act of terrorism.

Central Traits

Central traits, unlike cardinal traits, are the general characteristics that form the foundation of personality. Most people have a handful of central traits that describe how they typically think, feel, and behave. These traits are less dominating than cardinal traits but are still significant, actively contributing to the consistency observed in an individual's behavior over time.

When assessing the terrorist from the exercise, traits such as 'aggressive', 'misguided', or 'loyal' could be central traits that detail various aspects of his personality. They may interact in complex ways with one another and with situational factors to influence his behavior, but they don't define his life as completely as a cardinal trait would.

Motivational Processes in Behavior

Allport placed significant emphasis on understanding motivational processes in behavior. According to his theory, behaviors are not simply reactions to stimuli or outcomes of past experiences; they are driven by current, conscious motives. This notion implies that people are capable of introspection and possess the ability to understand their motives, which govern their actions.

Applied to the terrorist’s behavior, motivational processes involve a current and pressing hatred or disdain for the foreign country. Regardless of past experiences, it is this prevailing sentiment that acts as the driving force behind his decision to commit an act of terror. Thus, understanding these motivational processes is key to comprehending complex, and often destructive, behaviors.

Role of Personal Traits

The role of personal traits in Allport's theory is critical. He believed that personal traits are the basic units of personality, which means they are the building blocks that give rise to individual differences in behavior and thinking. Personal traits are enduring and can predict future behavior more effectively than fleeting states or situational factors.

In the terrorist's scenario, his personal traits, potentially including a strong identification with a certain ideology or a tendency towards violence, guide his behavior towards the extreme act of terrorism. These traits collate to form a personality structure that drives the choices he makes, underlining why understanding personality—including cardinal and central traits—is crucial for interpreting human behavior.