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Gordon Allport (and personality theorists who agree with him) would probably describe Demetrius's being brown-eyed as which of the following?

1) An inherited trait
2) A learned behavior
3) A result of environmental factors
4) A random occurrence

User NamiW
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

Gordon Allport would not consider eye color, such as being brown-eyed, a personality trait but a physical characteristic and the result of a genetic and random occurrence. Personality traits, in his view, are behaviors and attitudes that shape how we interact with the world, distinct from biological attributes like eye color.

Step-by-step explanation:

Gordon Allport, a notable trait theorist in psychology, would probably describe someone's characteristic of being brown-eyed not in terms of personality but as a physical trait. Allport's framework for personality traits categorizes them into cardinal traits, central traits, and secondary traits. In this context, eye color, such as Demetrius's brown eyes, would likely be seen as a random occurrence — it is a biological attribute determined by genetics, which does not pertain to an individual's character or personality.

According to Allport, traits such as sociability, aggressiveness, and optimism illustrate our behaviors and attitudes, which are central to our personality. On the other hand, eye color arises from polygenic inheritance and does not influence or reflect personality traits. Thus, while certain traits influence how we interact with the world and are central to who we are, physical characteristics like eye color are not counted among these influential personality traits by Allport and psychologists who share his view.

User Sheree
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