Becoming: Basic Considerations for a Psychology of Personality

by Gordon W. Allport

“A splendid statement of the historical development of psychology.”— New Republic
 
“Provocative, penetrating, altogether worth reading.”— Contemporary Psychology
 
The distinguished psychologist Gordon W. Allport outlines the need for a psychology of becoming , of the growth and development of personality that he says “can best be discovered by looking within ourselves.” Modern psychology is in a dilemma, Allpost states, for it has reduced  the image of man as a free, democratic being. He appraises the state of the psychology of personality and indicates its relevance to human welfare and religion.
 
This volume is based on the Terry Lectures, which the author delivered at Yale University in 1954.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction

115 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1955

About the author

Gordon Willard Allport was an American psychologist. Allport was one of the first psychologists to focus on the study of the personality, and is often referred to as one of the founding figures of personality psychology. He contributed to the formation of Values Scales and rejected both a psychoanalytic approach to personality, which he thought often went too deep, and a behavioral approach, which he thought often did not go deep enough. He emphasized the uniqueness of each individual, and the importance of the present context, as opposed to past history, for understanding the personality.

Allport had a profound and lasting influence on the field of psychology, even though his work is cited much less often than other well known figures. Part of his influence stemmed from his knack for attacking and broadly conceptualizing important and interesting topics (e.g. rumor, prejudice, religion, traits). Part of his influence was a result of the deep and lasting impression he made on his students during his long teaching career, many of whom went on to have important psychological careers. Among his many students were Jerome S. Bruner, Anthony Greenwald, Stanley Milgram, Leo Postman, Thomas Pettigrew, and M. Brewster Smith.

Reviews

[R.K. Cowles · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 1/4 stars

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm wary of reading psychology texts, mainly because we have so many quacks who make a living on it starring on television. Don't they find themselves boring? However, Allport's book is informative and intelligent. Normally, I discover more about myself and others through biographies and novels--sometimes poetry. I mean, I believe that people want to learn about psychology to know more about themselves. There are exceptions, such as Allport's "Becoming", and these become classics in the field.

[Michael Neal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, simple, and very specific in it’s goals. If nothing else a good read, though I think the author could have done better to incorporate various arguments into his views rather than simply recount them before making his point.

[Quratulain · Rating 5 out of 5]

EXB

[Brianna]

should’ve dnfed this like a month ago

[Stephen Antczak · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting proposal for how personality psychology should be approached as a science.

[Betsy]

Recommended at Wes Bilson’s funeral by Rabbi Feinstein