HENRY MURRAY-PERSONOLOGY

“Freud’s contribution to man’s conceptualized knowledge of himself is the greatest since the works of Aristotle; but his view of human nature is exceptionally…one-sided. Were an analyst to be confronted by that much heralded but still missing specimen of the human race—the normal man—he would be struck dumb. Thus my theory sets forth a health-oriented extension of, and complement to, the illness-oriented Freudian system.” (Murray, 1959)

CORE CHARACTERISTICS

I. ID-Consists of the basic energies, emotions, and needs

A. Selfish instincts-like Freud’s

B. Acceptable instincts, for example; need (n) for love, n. for Achievement, n. To be Nurturing.

The process of tension reduction is pleasurable.

II. EGO-has defensive functions (like Freud’s) and also promotes expression of acceptable impulses. Some Ego functioning is CONFLICT-FREE.

III. SUPEREGO- Similar to Freud’s, but more emphasis on the “Ego-Ideal”.

The Core Tendency is the same as Freud’s “Maximize Instinctual Gratification while Minimizing Anxiety and Guilt”.

The ID energy is represented by NEEDS, identified by 5 criteria:

1. An inner motivational state

2. Perception of the external situation

3. Imagined goal or aim

4. Directionality of concomitant movements and words, and

5. Produced effect, if any

An example of the above for Need (N) for affiliation would be:

1. An inner state of loneliness

2. Perception of companionship deprivation

3. A goal of close or warm interactions with someone

4. Directionality in terms of initiating actions to gain closer contact

5. If an effect is produced (e.g., a date), it ought to be consistent with the aims.

TYPES OF NEEDS

1. VISCEROGENIC-internal sources

A. Lacks (leading to intakes)

Inspiration (of oxygen)

Water

Food

Sentience (sensuous impressions)

B. Distensions (leading to outputs)

Sex

Lactation

Expiration

Urination

Defecation

C. Harms (leading to retractions)

Noxavoidance (internal source)

Heat avoidance

Cold avoidance

Harmavoidance (external source)

2. PSYCHOGENIC NEEDS- stimulated by external sources--”press”

dominance

deference

autononomy

aggression

nurturance

achievement

abasement-to be submissive, weak

exhibition

affiliation

succorance-to be taken care of

intraception-analyze one’s own feelings

endurance

heterosexuality

These Psychogenic needs comprise many of the scales of the Edwards Personal Preference Schedule.

3. Process Needs

Play, Order, Understanding, Thinking, Creativity

Needs are arranged in hierarchies of strength. The strongest needs are “Prepotent” needs. Needs can combine or “fuse” to achieve the same goal. Needs can also be in “conflict”. One need can sometimes serve the function of another need through a process called “subsidation”. A dominant need at any one time is a “Regnant” need.

A candidate for congress buys a $1,000 suit (n. exhibition) in order to win the approval and friendship of the governor (n. affiliation) from whom he hopes to gain some slanderous knowledge relating to a political rival that he can publish (n. exhibition) in order to damage the rival’s reputation (n. aggression) and thus assure his own election (n. achievement).

By working 80 hours a week (n. endurance) and always sucking up to his major professor (n. deference), the graduate student’s loyalty to his professor (n. succorance) is reinforced by rapid progress towards the Ph.D. (n. achievement).

By telling his girlfriend that she is so smart and beautiful (n. deference), she believes him and takes care of him (n. nurturance, n. dominance) so he comes to depend on her (n. succorance) and they complement each other enough that they get married (n. heterosexuality, n. achievement, n. affiliation for both).

Other distinctions regarding Needs:

Overt vs. Covert

Focal vs. Diffuse

Effect vs. Process vs. Modal

Needs are internal influences on behavior according to Murray. External influences on behavior are called “Press” by Murray. Murray distinguishes “Alpha press” (The objective characteristics of an object in the environment) from “Beta press” (a person’s perceptions and evaluation of that object).

Comments on Periphery

According to Murray, each person’s life can be thought of as a book that contains the chapters of our life. The roles that we play are known as “themas” or “need-integrate patterns”, which are the customary need gratification patterns of a person.

These “themas” follow the following pattern: “Alpha press” > “Beta press” > “Need” > “Vector” (the direction we take to satisfy our need) > “Value” (The goal of our need expression).

Murray also uses the term “Cathexis” to refer to the capacity of an object to attract or repel someone. “Sentiment” refers to the tendency of an individual to be attracted or repelled in general.

Themas occur in sequences that vary in duration:

1. Proceedings-the shortest themas, e.g., going to the store.

2. Durances-overlapping proceedings, e.g., a semester at school, adolescence.

3. Serials--longer proceedings, e.g., a marriage.

4. Serial Programs (Ordination)-A planned series of proceedings that lead to a remote goal (e.g., what I must do to become an RN).

5. Unity Themas-a single pattern of related needs and presses that repeats itself through life.

Unity themas are also called “Complexes” and they are the result of unfortunate developmental experiences. People with “complexes” have little flexibility. Complexes reflect a narrow pattern of “vectors” and “goals (values)”. Unity themas unconsciously determine the course of adult life.

THE DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES ARE CHARACTERIZED BY PLEASURABLE CONDITIONS THAT ARE TERMINATED OR FRUSTRATED.

DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES AND ASSOCIATED COMPLEXES

1. Claustral (in the womb)

Complexes

A. Simple Claustral, a need to reinstate womb-like conditions, dependency, passive, oriented to past, doesn’t like change.

B. Fear of Insupport, lack of trust, helplessness, fear of open places & falling, little trust in future.

C. Eggression, independent, autonomous, claustrophobia, loves the outdoors.

2. Oral

Complexes

D. Oral Succorance, dependent, compulsive eating, drinking, and smoking.

E. Oral Aggressive, argumentative, phobia for biting animals, sarcastic, aggressive.

F. Oral Rejection, autonomy, disgust for oral activities, dislikes a wide variety of foods, anorexia.

3. Anal

Complexes

G. Anal Rejection, disorderly, sloppy, disorganized, diarrhea, spendthrift.

H. Anal Retention, obsessive, compulsive, constipation, clean, stingy.

4. Urethral

I. Urethral Complex, competitive, ambitious, omnipotent, Narcissism, likes fires, bedwetting.

5. Phallic

J. Castration Complex, over-dramatic, attention-seeking, hysterical

6. Genital

Genital Type, The mature person

Murray is also know for creating the THEMATIC APPERCEPTION TEST (TAT)