Allport distinguished between common traits and personal dispositions. Common traits are trait dimension on which individuals can be comepared with one another. personal dispositions refer to the unique patterning or configuration of traits within the individuals.Two people may both be honest but may differ in the way that honesty relates to their other traits.One,sensitive to the feelings of others,may tell a "white lie" on occasion:for this person,sensitivity ranks higher than honesty.The other,ranking honesty higher,is scrupulously honest even if it hurts someone.People may also possess the same trait but for different motives. One person may be conscientious because he or she is concerned about the opinion of other people.Another person may be conscientious because it expresses a need to keep life orderly.
Traits also differ in the extent to which they influenc the person's behavior. Allport viewed personal dispositions as being organized in a kind of hierarchy, some having a more pervasive in fluence on a person's behavior than others;he distinguished among cardinal, central,and secondary disposition.A few people may have one dominant disposition that influences virtually all aspects of their behavior. Allport called these cardinal dieposition. A saintly, religious figure such as Mother Theresa might be said to have the cardinal disposition of altruism. Less pervasive but still quite general tendencies to respond are called central dispositions. Most of us of 5 to 10 central dispositions that serve to organize and direct many aspects of our lives. For the woman described earlier, friendliness would be a central dispositions. Finally, we all have numerous more specific and narrow interests or tendencies to respond that Allport called secondary dispositions: a preference for certain kinds of clothes or a tendency to keep a neat desk but a sloppy personal appearance would be examples.