Feist−Feist: Theories of
Personality, Seventh
EditionIV. Dispositional Theories 13. Allport: Psychology of
the Individual© The McGraw−Hill^389
Companies, 2009Motivational and Stylistic Dispositions
All personal dispositions are dynamic in the sense that they have motivational power.
Nevertheless, some are much more strongly felt than others, and Allport called these
intensely experienced dispositionsmotivational dispositions.These strongly felt dis-
positions receive their motivation from basic needs and drives. Allport (1961) re-
ferred to personal dispositions that are less intensely experienced as stylistic dispo-
sitions,even though these dispositions possess some motivational power. Stylistic
dispositions guideaction, whereas motivational dispositions initiateaction. An ex-
ample of a stylistic disposition might be neat and impeccable personal appearance.
People are motivated to dress because of a basic need to stay warm, but the manner
in which they attire themselves is determined by their stylistic personal dispositions.
Motivational dispositions are somewhat similar to Maslow’s concept of coping be-
havior, whereas stylistic dispositions are similar to Maslow’s idea of expressive be-
havior (see Chapter 10).
Unlike Maslow, who drew a clear line between coping and expressive behav-
iors, Allport saw no distinct division between motivational and stylistic personal dis-
positions. Although some dispositions are clearly stylistic, others are obviously
based on a strongly felt need and are thus motivational. Politeness, for example, is a
stylistic disposition, whereas eating is more motivational. How people eat (their
style) depends at least partially on how hungry they are, but it also depends on the
strength of their stylistic dispositions. A usually polite but hungry person may forego
manners while eating alone, but if the politeness disposition is strong enough and if
others are present, then the famished person may eat with etiquette and courtesy de-
spite being famished.
Proprium
Whether motivational or stylistic, some personal dispositions are close to the core of
personality, whereas others are more on the periphery. Those that are at the center of
personality are experienced by the person as being an important part of self. They
are characteristics that an individual refers to in such terms as “That is me” or “This
is mine.” All characteristics that are “peculiarly mine” belong to the proprium(All-
port, 1955).
Allport used the term propriumto refer to those behaviors and characteristics
that people regard as warm, central, and important in their lives. The proprium is not
the whole personality, because many characteristics and behaviors of a person are
not warm and central; rather, they exist on the periphery of personality. These non-
propriate behaviors include (1) basic drives and needs that are ordinarily met and sat-
isfied without much difficulty; (2) tribal customs such as wearing clothes, saying
“hello” to people, and driving on the right side of the road; and (3) habitual behav-
iors, such as smoking or brushing one’s teeth, that are performed automatically and
that are not crucial to the person’s sense of self.
As the warm center of personality, the proprium includes those aspects of life
that a person regards as important to a sense of self-identity and self-enhancement
(Allport, 1955). The proprium includes a person’s values as well as that part
of the conscience that is personal and consistent with one’s adult beliefs. A general-
ized conscience—one shared by most people within a given culture—may be
Chapter 13 Allport: Psychology of the Individual 383