Gordon Allport

A cardinal trait dominates an individual's life, central traits describe major characteristics, and secondary traits appear in narrower situations or preferences. Allport used this hierarchy to explain personality without reducing every person to the same small set of dimensions.

Functional autonomy is the idea that an adult motive can become independent of the childhood cause that first produced the behavior. A person might begin an activity for approval or necessity and later pursue it because it has become intrinsically meaningful.

Allport emphasized conscious motives, present goals, and the uniqueness of mature personality more than unconscious childhood conflict. He did not deny the past, but he resisted explaining every adult action primarily through early drives.

Allport described escalating forms of prejudice ranging from hostile speech and avoidance to discrimination, physical attack, and extermination. The framework appeared in his 1954 book The Nature of Prejudice.