31:. He argued that everyone had a set of universal basic needs, with individual differences on these needs leading to the uniqueness of personality through varying dispositional tendencies for each need; in other words, a specific need is more important to some than to others. In his theory, Murray argues that needs and presses (another component of the theory) acted together to create an internal state of disequilibrium; the individual is then driven to engage in some sort of behavior to reduce the tension. Murray believed that the study of personality should look at the entire person over the course of their lifespan – that people needed to be analysed in terms of complex interactions and whole systems rather than individual parts – and an individual's behaviors, needs and their levels, etc. are all part of that understanding. Murray also argued that there was a biological (specifically neurological) basis for personality and behavior.
562:(TAT) as a tool to assess personality. The TAT is based on the assumption that human unconscious needs are directed towards an external stimulus. Murray and Morgan created the TAT to evaluate "press" and "need", which Murray emphasized in his theory of personality. The TAT is administered by an assessor, who chooses a subset of cards (generally concerning a particular theme, or those that they feel best suit the subject) out of the 32 available; Murray recommended selecting 20. Each card features various ambiguous scenes which relate to interpersonal situations. The test-taker is asked to give a detailed explanation of what they see. For example, an explanation may include a narrative of what is happening and what may unfold, and what the characters in the scene are feeling or thinking. From this narrative, the assessor uses Murray's theoretical themes to infer personality characteristics.
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While each need is important in and of itself, he also believed that needs can support or conflict with one another, and can be interrelated. He coined the term "subsidation of needs" to describe when two or more needs are combined in order to satisfy a more powerful need, and the term "fusion of needs" to describe when a single action satisfies more than one need. For example, the need for dominance may conflict the need with affiliation when overly controlling behavior drives away family, romantic partners, and friends. A need may be a purely internal state, but more often it is evoked by a press.
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the subjects anticipation that the stimulus will be perceived as either positive or negative. Murray notes that both
Pressive Perception and Apperception are largely unconscious. Presses may have positive or negative effects, may be mobile (affecting the subject if they do nothing) or immobile (affecting the subject if they take an action), and may be an alpha press (real effects) or a beta press (merely perceived).
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out and intake water. The first six primary needs (air, water, food, sentience, sex, and lactation) are considered "positive" needs, as they drive a person towards a certain object or action. The remaining seven (expiration, urination, defecation, and the four avoidance needs) are considered to be "negative" needs as they drive a person away from an object (or in some cases towards the expulsion of an object).
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Conscious needs as those that a subject can self-report, while unconscious needs are all others. This is distinct from manifest versus latent in that a person may directly express a need they are unaware of, or not express a need they are aware of. The categorization most commonly referred to is the division between primary (viscerogenic) and secondary (psychogenic) needs.
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Secondary needs emerge from or are influenced by primary needs. Murray identified 17 secondary needs, each belonging to one of eight need domains: ambition, materialism, status, power, sadomasochism, social-conformance, affection, and information. Needs in each domain have similar themes underpinning
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Murray argued environmental factors play a role in how psychogenic needs are displayed in behavior. He used the term "presses" to describe external influences on motivation that may influence an individual's level of a need as well as their subsequent behavior. The "press" of an object is what it can
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Individual differences in levels of needs lead to the uniqueness of a person's personality; in other words, specific needs may be more important to some than to others. According to Murray, human needs are psychogenic in origin, function on an unconscious level, and can play a major role in defining
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Primary needs are defined by Murray as needs involving some biological process and arise in response to certain stimuli or events that drive the body towards a certain outcome ('positive' or 'negative').For example, dehydration would trigger a "need for water", which in turn drives a person to seek
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Murray differentiated each need as unique, but recognized commonalities among them, codified at least partially in his categorization system. Behaviors may meet more than one need: for instance, performing a difficult task for your fraternity may meet the needs of both achievement and affiliation.
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Although Murray's theory has had a substantial influence on personality testing and research, some critics say that his system of needs is too broad and rather subjective. One criticism of this hierarchy is that it lacks the objective criterion for needs. It can also be said that some of the needs
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Any stimulus with the potential to affect the individual in a positive or negative way is referred to as "pressive", and everything else is referred to as inert. "Pressive
Perception" is how the subject interprets a press as either a positive or negative stimulus. "Pressive Apperception" refers to
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Murray's system of needs has influenced the creation of personality testing, including both objective and subjective measures. A personality test is a questionnaire or other standardized instrument designed to reveal aspects of an individual's character or psychological makeup. Murray's system of
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Murray divides needs into several binary categories: manifest (overt) or latent (covert), conscious or unconscious, and primary (viscerogenic) and secondary (psychogenic) needs. Manifest needs are those that are allowed to be directly expressed, while latent needs are not outwardly acted on.
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Murray defines a need as a drive that has the potential to prompt a behavior from the person. For example, the need for affiliation may drive a person to join social organization. Needs are often influenced by environmental stimulus or "presses", another component of Murray's theory.
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can conflict with each other like achievement and nurturance, which deal with opposing ideas of having to obstacles with achievement being active and nurturance being passive. This could possibly be due to contrasting instructions from the experimenters.
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Murray's concept of the "press" and his emphasis on the importance of environmental events (and their subjective interpretation) were also highly significant to later psychological research. Behavioral psychology-pioneered by
606:-focused on environmental events, while cognitive psychology included a focus on subjective interpretation of events, based on another one of Murray's ideas (his categorization of presses as either Alpha or Beta).
56:, Murray's needs are not based on a hierarchy; individuals may be high in one and low in the other, and multiple needs may be affected by a single action.
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Murray's theory of personality was the basis for several areas of further psychological research. Three of the needs he identified–the
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Rosenfeld, Paul; Culbertson, Amy L.; Magnusson, Paul (April 1992). "Human Needs: A Literature Review and
Cognitive Life Span Model".
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48:. He also believed that these needs could be measured by projective tests, specifically one he had developed, known as the
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To have one's needs satisfied by someone or something. Includes being loved, nursed, helped, forgiven and consoled
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To impress others through one's actions and words, even if these are shocking. (Often combined with
Recognition)
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them; for instance, the ambition domain contains all those needs which relate to achievement and recognition.
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To be close and loyal to another person, pleasing them and winning their friendship and attention
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needs directly influenced the development of a variety of personality measures, including the
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To surrender and submit to others, accept blame and punishment. To enjoy pain and misfortune
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To separate oneself from a negatively viewed object or person, excluding or abandoning it.
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personality. Frustration of these psychogenic needs plays a central role in the origin of
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To admire a superior person; praising them, yielding to them, following their rules.
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Murray, H. A. (1938). Explorations in personality. New York: Oxford
University Press
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To make up for failure by trying again, seeking pridefully to overcome obstacles.
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To control one's environment or the people in it through command or persuasion
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To seek validation for power (Often split into
Achievement and Recognition)
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To defend oneself against attack or blame, hiding any failure of the self.
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To accomplish difficult tasks, overcoming obstacles and becoming expert
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To understand, be curious, ask questions, and acquire new knowledge
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594:' competency-based models of management effectiveness, and more.
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To help the helpless, feeding them and keeping them from danger
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To resist the influence of others and strive for independence
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Personality theory and research: an international perspective
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Storytelling, narrative, and the
Thematic Apperception Test
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To forcefully overcome, control, punish, or harm someone
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To inhibit asocial behavior to avoid blame or ostracism
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To be isolated from others (opposite from
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as part of his theory of personality, which he named
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To seek praise and commendation for accomplishments
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http://allpsych.com/personalitysynopsis/murray.html
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Personality: Determinants, Dynamics, and
Potentials
521:To find and demonstrate relations between facts.
788:Cervone, Daniel; Vittorio Caprara, Gian (2000).
590:'s "Achievement Motivation Theory", aspects of
335:To prevent harm to self-respect or "good-name"
727:Navy Personnel Research and Development Center
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775:Salem health: psychology & mental health
497:To have fun, laugh and relax, enjoy oneself
16:Part of Henry Murray's theory of personality
792:. Cambridge University Press. p. 348.
416:To avoid being humiliated or embarrassed.
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544:Jackson Personality Inventory
773:Piotrowski, Nancy A (2010).
852:Interpersonal relationships
762:. New York: Guilford Press.
747:. Harvard University Press.
704:. Oxford University Press.
658:Explorations in Personality
625:Maslow's hierarchy of needs
584:Maslow's hierarchy of needs
227:Secondary/psychogenic needs
95:Primary/viscerogenic needs
54:Maslow's hierarchy of needs
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745:Thematic apperception test
661:. Oxford University Press.
560:thematic apperception test
550:Thematic apperception test
86:Primary/viscerogenic needs
69:do for or to the subject.
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687:. Wiley Global Education.
554:Henry Murray, along with
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576:need for affiliation
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442:Social-Conformance
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