Theoretical Contributions

Murray’s theory of personology was a unique contribution to the early years
of personality theorizing. His system differed from those before it (for example, Freud’s psychoanalytic theory) in that it was not developed in a clinic
as a result of working with clients. Murray studied normal individuals in
great detail and gained knowledge from experts in a number of disciplines.
This gave personality theory a certain degree of academic respectability it
had not had previously acquired. Murray was also a highly influential
teacher, with many students who made significant contributions to psychology.
Murray’s description of “needs” was a major contribution to the psychological
study of motivation. His research spurred many investigations of individual
human needs. Additionally, his complementary emphasis on environmental
events (that is, “press”) was later to become a major shift in
American psychology. The behavioral school of psychology, with its leaders
John B. Watson and B. F. Skinner, was to become the dominant force for
many years. Their focus on the manipulation of environmental events (for
example, rewards and punishments) was to have a major influence on education,
therapy, and childrearing. The subjective interpretation of environmental
events (that is, “beta press”) also was a precursor to a major shift in
theory. The cognitive school of psychology now focuses on these mental rearrangements
of events and makes predictions based on individuals’ expectations
and fears. Murray’s emphasis on the fact that the idiosyncratic perception
of an event is not always the same as what actually happened is the
foundation for this approach.

Finally, Murray’s development of the TAT (with Christiana Morgan) was
an early and influential contribution to the area of personality assessment. It
and similar tests, such as the Rorschach inkblot test and the incomplete sentences
blank, are frequently used for gathering personality information in
the clinic. Even the weaknesses of the TAT (for example, different investigators
may score it very differently) led to the development of more objective
personality tests with standardized questions and scoring. Murray’s influence,
both in the classroom and in the clinic, was substantial.

Sources for Further Study
Anderson, JamesW. “Henry A. Murray’s Early Career: A Psychobiographical
Exploration.” Journal of Personality 56, no. 1 (1988): 139-171. An interesting
presentation of the factors that led Henry Murray to become a psychologist
and of how his experiences interacted with his theory. An excellent
example of how one’s life cannot be extricated from one’s beliefs
about human nature.
Boring, Edwin G., and Gardner Lindzey, eds. A History of Psychology in Autobiography.
Vol. 5. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1967. In an autobiographical
essay in volume 5 of this survey, Henry Murray presents a detailed
view of his concepts and the influence of his work.
Hall, Calvin Springer, Gardner Lindzey, and John Campbell. Theories of Personality.
4th ed. New York: JohnWiley & Sons, 1998. A definitive reference
for information on most personality theorists. A thorough book that gives a detailed explanation of most of Murray’s concepts. Not recommended
for the casual reader.
Schultz, Duane P. Theories of Personality. 5th ed. Belmont, Calif.: Brooks/
Cole, 1994. A review of the major aspects of Henry Murray’s theory in an
easy-to-read format. Provides substantial biographical information about
Murray and how this influenced his theory.
Smith, M. B., and J.W. Anderson. “Henry A. Murray (1893-1988).” American
Psychologist 44 (1989): 1153-1154. This obituary is a personal account of
Murray’s career and his impact on his students as well as on psychology.
Covers not only the facts of Murray’s work but also his perceptions of his
work.
Brett L. Beck
See also: Aggression; Psychoanalytic Psychology. 630