Murray’s theory of Personology

Murray’s theory of Personology was proposed by Henry Murray. He was a neo-

psychoanalyst who opposed Freud on many concepts. His theory of personology showed an
optimistic view of human nature. Murray called his theory, the theory of personology because
Murray’s term to describe his study of human lives and individual differences in personality
is called personology.

According to Murray personality is made of id, ego, and superego much like how Freud
described it, but Murray defined them a little different:

 Id: it contains the primitive, amoral, and lustful impulses described by Freud but it
also contains desirable impulses such as empathy and love.
 Ego: According to Murray, ego is not merely the servant of the id but it consciously
plans the course of action.
 Superego: It’s shaped not only by parents and authority figures as suggested by Freud
but also by the peer groups and cultures. 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.

Major concepts in Murray’s theory of Personology

1. Five principles of personology
2. Needs
3. Types of needs
4. Characteristics of needs
5. Complexes
6. Developmental stages

Principles of Personology
1. Personality is rooted in the brain: The individual’s cerebral physiology guides and
governs every aspect of the personality. Everything on which personality depends
exists in the brain including feelings, states, beliefs, values, etc. in other words,
Murray suggested no brain no personality. 
2. Tension reduction: according to Freud the ideal state of humans is the gratification
of needs. however, Murray was of the view that tension-free existence in itself is a
source of distress. He believed that the ideal state of human nature is having a certain
level of tension to reduce.
3. An individual personality continues to grow over time: personality is constructed
by all the events that occur during the course of a person’s life. Thus, the study of a
person’s past is important to understand them. Thus, personality changes and
progresses over time.
4. Uniqueness: Murray emphasized the uniqueness of each person while recognizing
similarities among people.
Murray’s Needs
According to Murray’s theory of Personology needs are the motivator of behavior. A need
involves a physiochemical force in the brain that organizes and directs behavior. Need
arouses tension and the organism tries to reduce this tension by satisfying the needs. Thus,
needs to energize and direct behavior. Murray proposed a total of 20 needs and a person may
experience some or all of those needs.

Types of needs
Murray divided needs into primary needs and secondary needs.

PRIMARY NEEDS SECONDARY NEEDS

These needs are vasculogenic needs These are psychogenic needs, meaning
meaning they are body-related. they are related to psyche.
They arise indirectly from primary
They arise from internal body states.
needs.
They are required for survival, such They are concerned with emotional
as, food, water, air, and harm- satisfaction and include the needs on
avoidance as well as sex and sentience Murray’s original list.

Murray also divided needs on the basis of the presence of the object in the environment into
reactive needs and proactive needs.

REACTIVE NEEDS PROACTIVE NEEDS

These needs involve a response to These needs don’t depend on the presence
something specific in the environment. of a particular object.
These needs are spontaneous, elicit appropriate
These needs arouse only when the object behavior when they are aroused, independent
appears. of
environment.
For example, the harm avoidance need For example, hungry people look for food to
appears satisfy
only when the threat is present. their needs, they don’t wait for stimuli.

Characteristics of needs
1. Prepotency: needs differ in terms of urgency with which they impact behavior.
2. subsidiation: it arises in situations in which one need is activated to help in satisfying
other needs.
3. Press: It’s environmental-related which press or pressurizes an individual to act in
certain ways. The influence of the environment and past events on the current
 activation of a need. Murray recognized that childhood events can affect the
development of specific needs and later in life can activate those needs. 
4. Thema: It’s the combination of press and needs that bring order to our behavior and is
largely unconscious. thema gives unity, order, and uniqueness to our behavior.

Complexes
Complexes

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).

There are five childhood stages follows: claustral, oral, anal, urethral, and genital stages.
With all these stages there are complexes associated. Every person experiences these
complexes because everyone passes through the same developmental stages. 

Each developmental stage leaves its mark on our personality in the form of unconscious
complexes that direct our later development. There is nothing abnormal about the complexes
except when they are manifested in the extreme which leaves the person fixated at that stage.

Developmental stages
I. Claustral stage: 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. and it includes the following complexes:

 Simple claustral complex: it’s a desire to be in a small, warm, dark place that is safe
and secluded. People with this condition tend to be dependent on other, passive and
self-oriented.

 In support 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).

 Anti-claustral/ Eggression claustral complex: It’s a need to escape from restraining

womblike conditions; fear of suffocation; preference of open places.

II. Oral stag: the enjoyment of sucking nourishment while being held. The complex
associated with this stage are:

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

 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

III. Anal stage: This stage consists of pleasures resulting from defecation as children become
aware of toilet related activities. There are 2 complexes associated with this stage of
development (Murray, 1938).

 Anal rejection complex: preoccupation with defection, anal humor, and feces-like
material such as dirt, mud, plaster, and clay. 
 The Anal retention complex: it involves a preoccupation with accumulating, saving,
collecting things, cleanliness and orderliness.

IV. Urethral stage: the pleasure accompanying urination. 

 Urethral complex: people with this complex show excessive ambition, distorted
sense of self-esteem, exhibitionism, bedwetting, sexual cravings, and self-love. This
complex is referred as “Icarus complex” name after Greek mythical figure. Like
Icarus peoples show high ambitions but their dream shattered by failure.

V. Genital castration stage: it’s all about genital pleasures. 

 Genital/ castration complex: anxiety invoked by a fantasy that the penis might be cut
off. Murray believed that such a fear grows out of childhood masturbation and the
parental punishment accompanying it. 

Conclusion
Murray’s theory of Personology is not a very famous approach to studying personality and
there is also a lot of criticism for this theory. Some of the criticism included that needs are a
broad concept and subjective. They can also conflict with one another. Murray also
constructed a projective test, the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) based on his needs. It
consists of ambiguous pictures depicting simple scenes. TAT is derived from Freud’s defense
mechanism called projection.