Allport’s 1954 theory of prejudice inner conflict proved prescient to later research.

Evidence

In responding to this question, it is worth noting that Allport offered his analysis of inner conflict and speculations concerning strategies for resolving it largely without the benefit of empirical data. This fact makes reexamination of his analysis and speculations an interesting exercise. To facilitate this exercise, note that Allport’s chapter addressed the following four general themes, each of which has since been addressed in the contemporary literature: (a) the source of inner conflict, (b) the nature of inner conflict, (c) strategies for conflict reduction, and (d) issues concerning prejudice control. With regard to each of these themes, it is fair to say that Allport was right in large measure. Indeed, one could argue that his ideas and suppositions were nothing short of prescient. In reading Allport’s “Inner Conflict” chapter, one can’t help but be impressed with Allport’s presaging of many of the major themes explored by subsequent generations of scholars. — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 2114