Henry Murray and the Science of Personality: A case study in the Psychology of Scientific Progress

• Autores: David O. Clark
• Localización: Revista de historia de la psicología, ISSN-e 2445-0928, ISSN 0211-0040, Vol. 47, Nº 1, 2026, págs. 27-34
• Idioma: español
• Títulos paralelos:
  • Henry Murray y la Ciencia de la Personalidad: un studio de caso en la Psicología del Progreso Científico
• Enlaces
  • Texto completo (pdf)
• Resumen
  • español

    At Harvard University in the 1930s strong competing forces influenced the history of modern psychology. Scientific progress, institutional prestige, and personal ambitions fought to define academic psychology. Science is a product of minds, explanations of science involve the psychology of scientists, and elements of this struggle are illustrated in the personalities of this conflict. In 1933 James Conant’s goal as president was to make Harvard first in research science. Edwin Boring’s goal as chairman of the Psychology Department was to make psychology a pure laboratory science. Boring’s understanding of scientific psychology was based on 19th century psycho-physiology. This view was challenged by Henry Murray who introduced the latest biological model of science to research personality. Each of them fought for their beliefs and personal ambitions. This conflict marked changes in psychology’s institutional identity for the second half of the 20th century.

  • English

    En la Universidad de Harvard, en la década de 1930, fuertes fuerzas enfrentadas influyeron en la historia de la psicología moderna. El progreso científico, el prestigio institucional y las ambiciones personales pugnaron por definir la psicología académica. La ciencia es un producto de las mentes, las explicaciones de la ciencia involucran la psicología de los científicos, y elementos de esta lucha se ilustran en las personalidades de este conflicto. En 1933, el objetivo de James Conant como presidente era hacer de Harvard el líder de la investigación científica. El objetivo de Edwin Boring como presidente del Departamento de Psicología era hacer de la psicología una ciencia de laboratorio pura. La comprensión de Boring de la psicología científica se basaba en la psicofisiología del siglo XIX. Esta visión fue desafiada por Henry Murray, quien introdujo el último modelo biológico de la ciencia para investigar la personalidad. Cada uno de ellos luchó por sus creencias y ambiciones personales. Este conflicto marcó cambios en la identidad institucional de la psicología para la segunda mitad del siglo XX.

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