ABSTRACT
Inthelateryearsofhislongcareer,HenryMurraycametotheviewthat thestudyofindividualpersonalitycouldnever,byitself,leadtoa thoroughunderstandingofhumanlives.Beyondtheperson,interpersonalrelationshipshadtobeexplored.Beyondaction,interaction hadtobeexamined. 1Murray'searlierpersonology,expressedso memorablyinExplorationsinPersonality(1938),wasself-consciously transactionalinitsphilosophy.Unlikethetraitpsychologiesoftheday thatignoredsituationaldeterminantsofbehavior,Murray'stheoryincorporatedtheenvironmentorganically,especiallythroughtheconcept ofpress.Theappreciationofpsychologicallifeasaflowingprocess ratherthanofpersonalityasaconstellationoffixedentitieswasclearin allofMurray'swriting,bothearlyandlate.Butthelaterconceptions, rarelycitedandapparentlyseldomread,arefundamentallydifferent fromtheearlyonesintheirfocusonsocialinteractionratherthan individualactionasasubjectofscientificinquiry.
