2. Henry Alexander Murray was born on May 13, 1893.
He was an American psychologist.
In 1938 he published Explorations in Personality.
Murray's most significant and well-known contribution
is the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT), a
personality test he developed which involved having
individuals interpret a series of pictures to tell a story.

3. Murray established, with others, the Psychological
Clinic Annex in 1949.
He received the Scientific Contribution Award from
the
American Psychological Association and the Gold
Medal Award for lifetime achievement from the
American Psychological Foundation.
Murray died from pneumonia at the age of 95 on June
23, 1988.

4. Murray used the term “personology” to describe his
study of human lives and individual differences in
personality

5. Henry Murray formulated five principles of
personology.
 First principle:
Personality is rooted in the brain.
The individual’s cerebral physiology guides and
governs every aspect of the personality.

6.  Second principle:
Involves the idea of tension reduction.
Murray agreed with Freud and other theorists that
people act to reduce physiological and psychological
tension, but this does not mean we strive for a tension
free state.
It is a process of acting to reduce tension that is
satisfying , according to Murray rather than the
attainment of condition free of all tension.
Murray believed that a tension-free existence is itself
a source of distress.

7.  Third principle:
The third principle of Murray’s personology is that an
individual’s personality continues to develop over time
and is constructed of all the events that occur during
the course of that person’s life. Therefore, the study of
person’s past is of great importance.
 Fourth principle:
Murray’s forth principle involves the idea that
personality changes and progress; it is not fixed or
Static.
Emphasize on the uniqueness of each person.

8.  Fifth principle:
Fifth, Murray emphasized the uniqueness of each
person while recognizing similarities among all people.
As he saw it, an individual human being is like no
other person, like some other people, and like every
other person.

9. Divisions of PersonologyDivisions of Personology

10.  Murray divided personality in three parts. For this,
he used Freud’s terms but these terms differ in
interpretation.
• Id
• Superego
• Ego

11. Id:
 Id is the repository of all innate impulsive tendencies.
 It is concern with behaviour.
 It provides the energy and the direction of behavior.

12. Id
 Freud:
Freud said, Id contains primitive, amoral
& lustful impulses.
 Murray:
Murray believed, Id contains socially
acceptable impulses like empathy and
love.

13. Id
 Murray was influenced by Jung’s Shadow Archetype
which has good impulses as well as bad ones.
 The strength of Id impulse varies among individuals.

14. Superego
 Freud:
Freud was of the view that superego stems out after the
child identifies with his/her parents. Superego acts as
the parental voice.
 Murray:
Murray defined superego as the
internalization of the culture’s values and norms by which we
come to evaluate and judge our behavior and that of others.

15. Superego
 Freud:
Freud said that at the age of 5, the superego is
crystallized.
 Murray:
Murray suggested that Superego continuously develop
throughout lifetime.

16.  Freud:
The superego is in constant conflict with Id.
 Murray:
Murray opposed the Frued’s this concept and said that
superego is not in constant conflict with id because the
Id contains bad and good impulses.

17.  Freud:
Freud stated that when ego acts contrary to the
demands of superego and does not meet its standards, it
gives of guilt and feelings of inferiority
 Murray:
Murray believed that superego prevents
occurrence of socially unacceptable
impulses and expresses acceptable needs appropriately.

18. Ego-ideal
While the superego is developing so
is the ego-ideal.
Ego ideal represents what we can become at our best
(IDEALIZED SELF IMAGE) and not what we can
become if we do not meet superego’s standard.

19. Ego
 Ego is the rational governor of personality.
 He opposes Freud’s contention that ego is the slave
of id, superego and the reality.
 Ego organizes our behaviors coming from
the id impulse whether good or bad.

20. Ego
 Ego is the central organizer of all behaviors. It plan
courses of action. It suppress unaccepted id impulses
and promote accepted id impulses pleasure.

21. Ego
 It is called the arbiter of the two contenders,
id and superego. It may favor one over
the other.
Example
 Ego supports id. This support leads the
personality towards a life of crime.

22. Ego
 Sometimes ego may ay favors both, the id and the
superego.
Example
 Ego supports both. This thing leads to the
harmony between what a person wants to
do and what the society expects from person.

23. Ego
 In Murray’s system conflict can arise
between the id and the superego. A strong
ego can mediate effectively between the
two, but a weak ego leaves the personality
a battleground.

25. Henry’s personality theory is organized in terms of
motives, presses, and needs.
Theories of personality based on needs and motives
suggest that our personalities are a reflection of behaviors
controlled by needs.
Some needs are temporary and changing, other needs are
deeply seated in our nature (Cherry, 1945).

26. Murray defined needs as, "potentiality or readiness
to respond in a certain way under certain given
circumstances" (1938).
Needs energize and direct our behaviors-that is, they
activate behavior in direction to satisfy the needs.
Needs may arise either from internal processes, such as
hunger, or from events in the environment (Cherry,
1945).

27. He identified needs as one of two types:
 Primary Needs:
Also called “viscerogenic needs”.
Primary needs are based on biological demands. They arise
from internal bodily processes. These are need for air, food,
water, lactation , and urination.
 Secondary Needs:
Also called “psychogenic needs”.
These needs are evolved from primary needs.
Among many psychogenic needs he listed are needs for
achievement, power, play, and order (Cherry, 1945).

28. According to Murray, these psychogenic needs
function mostly on the unconscious level, but play a
major role in our personality.
All people have these needs, but each individual tends
to have a certain level of each need (Cherry, 1945).
Murray’s research led him to formulate a list of 20
needs.

30. Materialistic NeedsMaterialistic Needs

31.  Acquisition:
Needs related to obtaining things. People who have
high need for acquisition want to gain possessions and
property. They grasp, snatch, steal or gamble (Cherry,
1945).
 Example: Gamblers, thieves, etc.

32.  Order:
It is related to organize, arrange things in order to
achieve neatness. People who have higher need for
order always want to be clean, neat and tidy. They try
to make their surroundings neat by putting things in
order (Cherry, 1945).
 Example: House wives, etc.

33.  Retention:
Need for retention involves keeping things. People who
have need for retention refuse to give or lend things,
they try to retain possessions of things (Cherry, 1945).
 Example: Miser, economical, etc.

34.  Construction:
People have a need for creating and
organizing new things (Cherry, 1945).
 Example: Chefs, artists etc.

36.  Achievement:
It involves overcoming obstacles and attaining high
standards. It also includes exercising power, to strive to
do something difficult and as quickly as possible. It is a
need to surpass others (Cherry, 1945).
 Example: Suppose you have a big test tomorrow, but
your friends are having a party tonight. If your need for
achievement is higher on your need of affiliation or
play, you will probably stay with your
books.

37.  Exhibition:
It is a need to attract attention to one’s self, to excite,
amuse or thrill others. It involves showing off and the
need to be seen and heard (Cherry, 1945).
 Example: People do odd makeup, wear odd dress
codes or striking/bright colors.

38.  Recognition:
It involves the need for receiving credit for action.
People with need for recognition want to display
achievement, gain social status and demand respect.
(Cherry, 1945).
 Example: CEO, administrative head, etc.

39.  The need of power refers to the desire or need to
impact other people, to control or be in position of
influence (Cherry, 1945).
Example, teachers, journalist, etc.

40.  People with a high need for attachment have a larger
social circle. They spend more time in interacting
with others and they are more likely to be the
members of social clubs or groups (Cherry, 1945).

41.  Information need is a need to be constantly informed
and aware about the world and its happenings. People
with this need want to analyze and gain experience
and can help others by sharing their knowledge
(Cherry, 1945).

43.  Abasement:
Confessing and apologizing.
It means to submit passively to external force. To
accept injury, blame , criticism and punishment. To
become resigned to fate. To admit inferiority, error,
wrong doing, or defeat. To seek and enjoy pain,
punishment, illness and misfortune

44.  INDEPENDENCE AND RESISTENCE .
 It means to get free off restraint, or break out of
confinement. To resist coercion and restriction. To be
independent and free to act according to impulse . To
defy conventions.

45. Attacking and ridiculing others.
To overcome opposition forcefully. To fight, attack,
injure, or kill another. To maliciously belittle,
censure, or ridicule another.

46.  Following the rule and avoiding blame.
 For example in a college a student will follow the
rules and regulations of a college and will definitely
try to avoid blames and punishments to get a secure
position in the college.

47.  Obeying and cooperating with others.
 To admire and support a superior person. To yield
eagerly to the influence of allied others. To conform
to custom.

48.  Controlling others.
 To control ones environment, to influence and direct
the behavior of others by suggestion, seduction,
persuasion or command. To get other to cooperate .
To convince another of the rightness of one’s
opinion.

49.  AFFIILIATION :
 Spending time with other people.
It means to draw near and enjoyably cooperate or
reciprocate with an allied person who resembles one
or who likes one. To adhere and remain loyal to a
friend.

50.  Taking care of another person.
To give sympathy to and gratify the needs of a
helpless person, an infant or one who is week,
disabled, tried, inexperienced, infirm, humiliated,
lonely, dejected or mentally confused.

51.  Having fun with others.
To act or fun without further purpose. To like a laugh
and make jokes. To seek enjoyable relaxation of stress.
To participate in games, supports, dancing and playing
cards.

52.  Rejecting other people.
 To exclude, abandon, expel, or remain indifferent to
an inferior person. To snub or jilt another person.

53.  Being helped or protected by others.
 It means to be nursed, supported, sustained,
surrounded, protected, loved, advised, guided,
indulged, forgiven or consoled. To remain close to a
devoted protector.

54. COGNIZANCE :
To speculate , formulate analyze and generalize.
Seeking knowledge and asking questions.
For example in a class students seek knowledge and
ask questions from teachers to fulfill their
information need and to become more acknowledged.

55.  Educating others.
 By educating others u can get more knowledge. The
process of seeking knowledge never stops. For
example, teachers educate students and gain more
knowledge and can fulfill their information need and
desire for knowledge.

56. Each need is important in itself but needs can be
interrelated, can support other needs and can also
conflict with other needs (Cherry, 1945).
For example, the need for dominance may conflict with
the need for affiliation when overly controlling behavior
drives away friends, family, and romantic partner. Murray
also believed that environmental factors play a role in how
these psychogenic needs are displayed in behavior.
Murray called these environmental forces “PRESSES”.

57. Psychologists have subjected Murray’s psychogenic
needs to considerable research.
 For example:
Research on the need of achievement has
revealed that people with the high need for
achievement select more challenging tasks.

58.  Another example can be of affiliation need. People
who rate high on affiliation needs tend to have larger
social groups spend more time in social interaction
and more likely to suffer loneliness when faced with
little social contact (Cherry, 1945).

59.  NEED’S PREPOTENCY :
Needs differ in terms of the urgency with which they
impel behavior. This characteristic of the needs is
called Need’s Prepotency.
 FUSION OF NEEDS :
Some needs are complementary and can be satisfied
by one behavior or a set of behaviors. This is called
Fusion of Needs.

60.  Subsidiation:
It is a situation in which one need is activated to
aid in the satisfaction of another need.
For example, To satisfy the affiliation need by being
in the company of other people, it may be necessary
to act deferentially towards them, thus invoking the
deference need. In this case, the deference need is
subsidiary to the affiliation need.

61.  The influence of the environment and past events or
the current activation of a need is called PRESS.
For example, Murray recognized that childhood events
can effect the development of specific needs and,
later in life, can activate those needs. He called this
influence Press because an environmental object or
event presses or pressures the individual to act in a
certain way

62.  A combination of press and need(the personality)
that brings order to our behavior is called Thema.
It is also called UNITY THEMA.
 The thema is formed through early childhood
experiences and becomes powerful force in
determining personality. Largely unconscious, the
thema relates needs and presses in a pattern that gives
coherence, unity, uniqueness and order our behavior
(Cherry, 1945).

64.  Drawing on Freud’s work, Murray divided childhood
into 5 stages. Each stage is characterized by a
pleasurable condition that is inevitably terminated by
demands of the society (Murray, 1938).
 Each stage leaves its mark on our personality in the
form of an unconscious complex that directs our later
development.

65.  Definition of Complex:
To Murray, complex is “A normal pattern of
childhood development that influences the adult
personality” (Murray, 1938).
 According to Murray, everyone passes through 5
developmental stages and also experiences 5
complexes associated with these stages (Murray,
1938).

66.  There is nothing abnormal about these complexes
except when they are manifested in extreme
conditions, that leaves a person fixated at that stage.
 As a result, the personality is then unable to develop
spontaneity and flexibility, and this situation
interferes with the formation of ego and super-ego
(Murray, 1938).

67. 1. Claustral Stage (Claustral Complexes).
2. Oral Stage (Oral Complexes).
3. Anal Stage (Anal Complexes).
4. Urethral Stage (Urethral Complex).
5. Genital Stage (Genital or Castration Complex).

68.  Claustral stage comprises of the secure, serene and
dependent existence of fetus within the womb.
 Basically, these are the conditions we may all
occasionally wish to reinstate (Murray, 1938).

69. a) Simple Claustral Complex:
 In this complex, the person has a desire to be in
small, warm, dark places that are safe and secluded.
 For example, one might long to remain under the
blankets instead of getting out of bed in the
morning.
 People with this complex show: need to reinstate
womb-like conditions, dependency on others,
passive tendencies and are oriented to past and also
they don’t like to change (Murray, 1938).

70. b) Insupport form of Claustral Complex:
 This complex is related to feelings of insecurity,
lack of trust and helplessness, fear of open places,
falling, drowning, fires, earthquakes or any situation
of novelty and change (Murray, 1938).

71. c) Anti-claustral Complex (Egression form):
 People with this complex show: a need to escape
from restraining womb-like conditions; fear of
suffocation; preference for open spaces, fresh air,
travel, movement, change and novelty (Murray,
1938).

72.  This stage comprises of sensuous enjoyment of
sucking nourishment through mother’s breasts.
 There are 3 types of Oral Complexes associated with
this stage of development (Murray, 1938).

73. a) Oral Succorance Complex:
 This complex is related to a combination of mouth
activities (sucking, kissing, eating, drinking),
passive tendencies, need to be protected and
supported. People with this complex also show
hunger for affection and love (Murray, 1938).

74. b) Oral Aggression Complex:
 This complex is a combination of oral and
aggressive behaviors such as biting, spitting,
shouting and verbal aggression e.g. sarcasm
(Murray, 1938).

75. c) Oral Rejection Complex:
 This complex includes vomiting, being picky about
food, eating less, fearing oral contamination (such as
from kissing), desiring seclusion and avoiding
dependence on others (Murray, 1938).

76.  This stage consists of pleasures resulting from
defecation as children become aware of toilet related
activities.
 There are 3 complexes associated with this stage of
development (Murray, 1938).

77. a) Anal Rejection Complex:
 People with this complex are disorganized, dirty,
pre-occupied with defecation, anal humor, feces-like
material (mud, plaster etc.) and are fond of activities
involving aggression such as dropping and throwing
things, firing guns (Murray, 1938).

78. b) Anal Retention Complex:
 This complex is characterized by accumulating,
saving and collecting things, neatness, cleanliness
and orderliness (Murray, 1938).

79.  This stage is associated with the pleasure
accompanying urination.
Urethral Complex:
 This complex is associated with excessive ambition,
exhibitionism, distorted sense of self-esteem, bed-
wetting, sexual cravings, self-love (narcissism)
(Murray, 1938).

80.  This complex is sometimes referred to as ‘Icarus
Complex’, named after mythical Greek figure who
flew so close to the sun that the wax holding his
wings melted (Murray, 1938).
 Like Icarus, people show high ambitions and their
dreams are shattered by failure.

81.  This stage is accompanied by genital pleasures.
Genital / Castration Complex:
 This complex is related to the anxiety evoked by the
fantasy that the penis might be cut off (Murray,
1938).
 Such a fear grows out of childhood masturbation
and parental punishment that may have
accompanied it (Murray, 1938).

82.  Murray gave images of human nature according to
his personality theory.
1. Equilibrium vs. Growth:
 In Equilibrium vs. Growth issue, Murray gave his
viewpoint that ‘growth’ is responsible for shaping
our personalities.
 According to Murray, our goal is not tension-free
state but the satisfaction achieved by acting to
reduce the tension (Shneidman, 1981).

83. 2. Free-will vs. Determinism:
 Murray explained this issue of human nature by
creating a balance between the two.
 According to him, free-will and determinism both are
responsible in shaping our personality.
 He was of the view that personality is determined by
our needs and our environment. Moreover, he
explained that free-will is also responsible for growth
and change (Shneidman, 1981).

84. 3. Uniqueness vs. Universality:
 There exists a balance between uniqueness and
universality according to Murray’s personality
theory.
 He believed that every person is unique, meaning that
there are distinct characteristics which are responsible
for shaping one’s personality (Shneidman, 1981).
 Also, he was of the view that there exist similarities
between all of our personalities.

85. 4. Nature vs. Nurture:
 Murray believed that both nature and
nurture are responsible for shaping
one’s personality.
 He suggested that inherited attributes as well as the
environment play an equal role throughout the
personality development.
 It means we cannot understand human personality
unless we accept the impact of physiological forces in
our physical, social and cultural environments
(Shneidman, 1981).

86. 5. Optimism vs. Pessimism:
 Murray’s view of human nature was optimistic,
which means that through positive thinking, we have
a hopeful view about the future and we are capable of
solving our problems through reasoning, creativity
and imagination (Shneidman, 1981).
 He criticized the psychology that projected a negative
image of human beings.

87. 6. Past vs. Present:
 Murray explained this image of
human nature by creating a balance
between the two (Murray, 1938).
 He was of the view that not only the childhood
experiences are responsible for shaping our
personality because the childhood complexes affect
our development unconsciously, but personality is
also determined by present events and aspirations for
the future (Shneidman, 1981).

88.  Murray’s techniques for assessing personality differ
from those of Freud and the other neopsychoanalytic
theorists. Because Murray was not working with
emotionally disturbed persons, he did not use such
standard psychoanalytic techniques as free
association and dream analysis.
 The Thematic Apperception Test

89.  The Thematic Apperception Test
The TAT consists of a set of ambiguous pictures
depicting simple scenes. It is a projective and
subjective test that is used for assessing unconscious
thoughts, feelings, and fears.

90.  It uses a standard series of provocative yet ambiguous
pictures about which the subject is asked to tell
a story. The subject is asked to tell as dramatic a story
as they can for each picture presented, including the
following:
 what has led up to the event shown
 what is happening at the moment
 what the characters are feeling and thinking
 what the outcome of the story was

91.  Murray has exerted an impressive and lasting
influence on the study of personality. Of particular
importance is his list of needs, which is of continuing
value for research, clinical diagnosis, and employee
selection, and his techniques for assessing
personality. Overall, these innovations, and the
personal impact he made on at least two generations
of personology researchers at Harvard, have had a
more lasting effect than the details of his theory.

92.  Cherry, K. (1945). Murray’s theory of Psychogenic
Needs. Retrieved on: 27/11/2011 from
http://www.psychology.about.com/od/psychogenic.htm
 Murray, H. A. (1938). Explorations in Personality.
New York: Oxford University Press.
 Shneidman, E. S. (1981). Selections from the
Personology of Henry A. Murray. New York:
Harper-Collins Publishers.