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care for an elderly grandparent or a younger sibling； moving away from home and accepting the
concurrent adult life…roles）。 Sullivan feels that those adolescents having the experience of attending
college have an advantage。 They have an extra few years to make this transition beyond their high…
school graduation。
Epoch 7： Adulthood。 Harry Stack Sullivan did not say a great deal about adulthood； except that it
represented the pletion of personality development。 The reason Sullivan did not say much
about adulthood is that he was a psychiatrist； and psychiatrists do not get many opportunities to
observe normally functioning adults。 Sullivan was smart enough to know that what he observed in
the pathological adult population was not applicable to the rest of the nonpathological population。
Nature versus Nurture
An issue that has dominated developmental psychology for years is the nature—nurture
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PSYCHOLOGY AND LIFE
controversy。 This issue is directly related to any discussion of personality as well。 You might ask
students how much of personality they believe is genetically inherited （nature） and how much is
learned from the environment （nurture）。 While generally； researchers argue that both appear to play
a role in personality； you might point out that how much of a role each plays may depend on what
part of personality you are discussing。 For example； genetics clearly plays an important role in
nervous system development； which can affect traits such as introversion。 On the other hand； the
environment （nurture） plays an important role in emotional maturation； as evidenced by Harlow
and Spitz’s studies on the effects of early isolation。 Ultimately； one of the best ways to sum up the
research on this controversy is to say that nature sets a potential range of development； and nurture
determines where； within that range； a person will end up。 With some aspects of personality；
nature sets a wide range of development； giving the environment plenty of room to have an impact。
With other aspects of personality； nature sets a narrow range of development； leaving the
environment room for only a minor impact。 With most aspects of personality； nature appears to set
a moderate range of potential development。
Personality： Add Women and Stir！
The topic of personality serves as an excellent base for discussing the feminist perspective within
the field of psychology。 Torrey （1987） has incorporated a five…phase sequence of sex…integration；
proposed by McIntosh； into the psychology of personality。
Phase 1： Womenless Psychology。 Torrey provides several interesting examples of womenless
psychology； for example； only four of the 707 pages of Hall and Lindzey’s text on personality
are devoted to a woman’s theory of personality （Karen Horney’s）。 Sullivan； Murray；
McClelland； and Kohlberg based their work on studies of men； although the theories usually
are described as universal。
Phase 2： Adding Women to Psychology。 In this phase； women’s work is included in the field of
psychology； but usually within the overall male…oriented paradigm。 Karen Horney’s
contributions within the psychoanalytic field would represent this phase。
Phase 3： Women as Inherently Different and Deviant。 Viewing men as the norm and women
as special exceptions occurs in Phase 3。 Freud’s view of mature female sexuality is used to
illustrate the point。 Although aware of the sexual role of the clitoris； Freud insisted that mature
sexuality is located in the vagina。 Regarding research； Torrey notes that when differences did
appear； psychologists have usually interpreted them as showing female inferiority。 Witkin； for
example； described the holistic style of perception he found in his female participants as a
liability to thinking analytically； rather than as a capacity for global synthesis （Torrey； 1987； p。
157）。
Phase 4： Taking the Psychology of Women Seriously。 This phase involves the feminist study
of women； their development and social rules。 Gilligan’s challenge to Kohlberg’s theory
represents this stage； as does Homer’s extension of achievement motivation （McClelland）。
Phase 5： All the Human Experience； Psychology Redefined。 A paradigmatic shift would be
necessary within psychology to describe the human experience as a discipline。 Until extensive
work concerning women is acplished； it will be difficult to envision the changes within the
field。 Do different theories represent different phases？ Are men and women really so different？
If so； what are the social； political； and economic implications of personality differences？ Since
women are being the majority in the field of psychology； what impact do you think this will
have on the psychology of the 21st century？
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CHAPTER 14： UNDERSTANDING HUMAN PERSONALITY
BIOGRAPHICAL PROFILE
Gordon Willard Allport （1897–1967）
As a student； Gordon Allport was deeply influenced by the writings of William James； whom he
resembles in his style of investigation and his unpromising interest in the individual as self。
Allport was born in Montezuma； Indiana； in 1897； one of four children。 His father； a physician； ran
his clinic in the Allport home。 He indulged his strong belief in the imposition of discipline and
responsibility at an early age by assigning each of his sons a task to carry out in the clinic。 Mrs。
Allport； a former schoolteacher； introduced the children to philosophy； providing them with the
foundations of the classics and encouraging their independent inquiry into the nature of things。
She was a religious woman and stressed the importance of faith。 Allport himself has described his
upbringing as one of “plain Protestant piety and hard work。”
On pletion of high school； Allport followed his brother Floyd to Harvard。 His education was
interrupted briefly when he served a short time in the armed forces during World War I。 He
eventually earned his B。A。 in 1919。 Gordon did not immediately pursue a graduate degree；
choosing instead to teach in Istanbul； Turkey； but returned to Harvard a year later to earn his
doctorate in psychology at the age of 24。 He did not remain in the United States for long； again
feeling the need to travel and study abroad。 This time Allport spent two years at large universities
in England and Germany。 When he returned； he secured a permanent academic position at
Harvard。
Allport’s most significant book； Personality： A Psychological Interpretation； was published in 1937
and enjoyed a great reception。 （The book was thoroughly revised 24 years later under the title
Pattern and Growth in Personality。） His approach to understanding human personality as a growing；
changing system of traits； attitudes； and habits became well known。 Allport is responsible for
emphasizing the importance of both the concept of attitudes in social psychology and the concept
of personality traits。
From 1939 to 1949； he was the Harvard University editor of the Journal of Abnormal and Social
Psychology and was elected president of the American Psychological Association in 1939。 He cofounded
the Department of Social Rel