Floyd H. Allport and the launching of modern social psychology

Abstract

Floyd H. Allport's contributions to the development of modern experimental social psychology are discussed. His work is viewed both as a protest against “group mind” and “instinct” theories popular in the early years of the twentieth century and as an outgrowth of specific positive influences at Harvard during his graduate training. Allport's social psychology brought theoretical rigor and experimental precision to an area that had been a loose amalgamation of sociology, instinct psychology, and evolutionary theory. Its impact on contemporary developments in the field has been decisive.