He can’t. (At least not by using trait theory.) Traits such as “hostile” and “vengeful” describe behavior, but do not explain it. (See the discussion of circular reasoning in the evaluation section.)...

He can’t. (At least not by using trait theory.) Traits such as “hostile” and “vengeful” describe behavior, but do not explain it. (See the discussion of circular reasoning in the evaluation section.) Allport does argue that the effects of prejudice include the increased use of defense mechanisms, and that hating people who belong to a different group or country may be an unconscious projection of intense self-hate. (See the section on prejudice.) Does this suggest that he might use Freudian constructs to explain the terrorist’s behavior? (Recall that Allport’s primary objection to Freudian theory is that it doesn’t apply well to healthy behavior.)