Allport, Gordon W. (1897-1967), was an American psychologist known for his research in human personality. In a series of books and articles published during a period of 30 years, Allport opposed the idea that an individual’s personality is a bundle of physiological drives and conditioned responses. Allport emphasized the gradual growth and unfolding of human personality. He believed that a person is not a mechanical product of environmental forces, but a unique force striving to develop his or her own potential.
Gordon Willard Allport was born on Nov. 11, 1897, in Montezuma, Indiana. He graduated from Harvard University in 1919 and received a Ph.D. from Harvard in 1922. From 1930 until his death, Allport taught psychology at Harvard. He helped establish Harvard’s department of social relations in 1946. He died on Oct. 9, 1967.
