Explorations in Personality

Henry A. Murray was on the faculty in psychology at Harvard University from 1927 until his retirement in 1962 and Professor Emeritus from 1962-1988. He received the Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award from the American Psychological Association and the Gold Medal Award for lifetime achievement from the American Psychological Foundation. Murray died in 1988 at the age of 95.Dan P. McAdams is Professor of Psychology and of Human Development and Social Policy and Director of the Foley Center for the Study of Lives at Northwestern University. McAdams is the author of over 150 scientific articles and chapters and 13 books on personality, motivation, biography, adult development, and the narrative study of lives. His most recent book is The Redemptive Self: Stories Americans Live By, which won the 2006 William James Award for best general-interest book in psychology across all subfields.

In 1938, Henry Murray taught us how to study personality the correct way - often the long and winding way. Seven decades later, our methods are more refined, but we are still struggling to recapture the profound and artistic vision of the person that he championed. This anniversary edition of his classic work reminds us that while our job as personologists is not yet finished, we can draw upon Murray's spirit of inquiry for inspiration as we continue our own explorations in personality.

• Foreword by Dan P. McAdams ; 1. Introduction ; 2. Proposals for a Theory of Personality ; 3. Variables of Personality ; 4. Judgements of Personality ; 5. The Genetical Investigation of Personality: Childhood Events ; 6. Procedures ; 7. Case History: Case of Earnst ; 8. Conclusions