Problem: This concept is a part of his personality theory and refers to the idea that some behaviors, which might have originated due to a certain motive, continue to exist even after the original motive has disappeared. In other words, a behavior that was initially a means to an end becomes an end in itself. Allport broke functional autonomy down into two types: perseverative functional autonomy and propriate functional autonomy. Both offer insight into how individuals develop and maintain behaviors, but they represent different stages in a person's evolution. Rewrite. Need Assignment Help?