Review of Explorations in Personality

Abstract

Reviews the book, Explorations in Personality by Henry A. Murray and twenty-seven collaborators (1938). Perhaps the most important problems of modern psychology are those directed at the delineation of the nature and characteristics of human personality. The American approach to this task has been to measure fairly large groups (usually of college students) and then to extract personality from the statistics obtained. In contrast European, and especially Germanic, investigators have studied limited and frequently selected groups and then intuitively created personality types (Jung, Kretschmer) or a blueprint of personality (Freud). Both approaches have made valuable additions to our knowledge of personality. Attempts to utilize something from both approaches have not been entirely lacking, but in the present volume Dr. Murray has reported the most elaborate attempt to study personality in which many methods have been tried and either rejected or made an integral part of a total research program. Fifty-one men of college age were studied by Dr. Murray and his 27 collaborators for varying periods during the two and a half years of the research. There can be no doubt that this is an important book An original method of investigation is clearly outlined. While there is a definite psychoanalytic bias the authors have considered other methods (even statistical). (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)