Murray's Theory of Psychogenic Needs

Overview

Personality is largely determined by a person's motives and needs, according to Henry Murray's (1893-1988) theory of personality organization. He defined "needs" as a person's proclivity or readiness to react in a certain way under specific circumstances. This article examines the various needs that shape our personality traits.

Murray's Categories of Needs

Theories centered on needs and motives posit that our personality traits are driven by them. Certain needs are fleeting and changeable, while others are deeply rooted in our nature.

Murray maintained that psychogenic needs, which are primarily subconscious but significantly influence our personality, exist. He categorized these needs into two main types:

• Primary needs: Fundamental needs tied to biological demands, like the need for food, water, and oxygen.
• Secondary needs: Psychological needs not essential for survival but crucial for psychological well-being, including the need for nurturing, achievement, and independence.

Psychogenic Needs

Murray and his colleagues identified 24 psychogenic needs. Murray asserted that these are universally present in individuals, though their intensity varies, contributing to unique personality traits.

Each need has its own significance, but Murray also asserted that they can interact, either complementing or clashing with one another. For instance, an excessive desire for dominance might conflict with the need for affiliation, as overly controlling behavior can alienate loved ones.

Environmental influences, which Murray referred to as "presses," also affect how these psychogenic needs manifest in behavior.

The following is a partial list of Murray's 24 psychogenic needs, organized by dominant themes:

Ambition Needs

Ambition needs are related to the pursuit of achievement and recognition. The need for achievement drives a person to succeed, set goals, and overcome obstacles. Gaining social status and showcasing accomplishments satisfy the desire for recognition. Ambition needs can sometimes extend to exhibitionism, or the desire to shock and thrill others.

Materialistic Needs

Materialistic needs revolve around acquisition, construction, order, and retention. Acquiring items, such as desired material objects, fulfills these needs. Alternatively, they can be expressed in the form of creating something new. Acquiring and creating items are essential facets of materialistic needs, as is preserving and organizing them.

Power Needs

Power needs revolve around seeking independence and controlling others. Murray recognized autonomy as a vital need, involving the desire for independence and resistance to influence.

Other prominent power needs he identified include abasement (confessing and apologizing), aggression (attacking or ridiculing others), blame avoidance (following rules and avoiding blame), deference (obeying and cooperating with others), and dominance (controlling others).

Affection Needs

Affection needs center on our desire to love and be loved. We inherently seek affiliation and companionship with others. Nurturance, or caring for others, is also essential for psychological well-being. Humans also have a need for succorance, which involves seeking help or protection from others. Murray also emphasized the significance of playing and enjoying oneself with others as a crucial affection need.

While most affection needs focus on building relationships and connections, Murray recognized rejection as a need as well. Turning people away and setting boundaries are essential for preserving mental well-being. Unhealthy relationships can negatively impact an individual's well-being, so knowing when to walk away can be critical.

Information Needs

Information needs center around both the acquisition of knowledge and its sharing with others. According to Murray, humans have an innate drive to expand their understanding of the world around them. He referred to seeking knowledge and posing questions as "cognizance."

He also suggested that people have a need for "exposition," or the desire to share what they have learned with other people.

Related Research

Extensive research has been conducted on Murray's psychogenic needs. Studies on the need for achievement, for instance, have shown that individuals with a strong need for achievement tend to choose challenging tasks and experience greater motivation to succeed.

Research has also found that individuals with high affiliation needs tend to have larger social circles and spend more time engaged in social interactions. They are also more prone to experiencing loneliness in the absence of social contact.

Murray used the psychogenic needs to develop the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT), a personality assessment tool. The test is based on the premise that psychogenic needs can be revealed through the responses to external stimuli. While the TAT has limitations in terms of reliability, it, along with Murray's theory of psychogenic needs, has significantly contributed to the development of modern personality testing.