Gardner Murphy
| Gardner Murphy | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born | July 8, 1895 |
| Died | March 18, 1979 (aged 83) |
| Occupation | Psychologist, psychical resercher |
| Spouse(s) | Lois Barclay |
Gardner Murphy (July 8, 1895 – March 18, 1979) was an American psychologist specialising in social and personality psychology and parapsychology. His career highlights included serving as president of the American Psychological Association, and of the British Society for Psychical Research.
Murphy was born on July 8, 1895 in Chillicothe, Ohio, US. He was the son of Edgar Gardner Murphy, an Episcopal minister and known activist. Upon graduating with a BA from Yale University in 1916, Murphy attended Harvard University, working with L. T. Troland in a telepathy experiment, and achieving his MA in 1917. Murphy succeeded Troland as holder of the Hodgson Fellowship in Psychical Research at Harvard University. After the war, in 1919, Murphy continued his studies at Columbia University, working towards his PhD, and combined this, until it was awarded in 1923, with work under the Hodgson Fellowship. He later married Lois Barclay and had two children, Al and Margaret.
Murphy was recognized for being generous and kind, such as offering assistance or loans if a student or colleague was in trouble. He also spoke out against racial conflicts and advocated for peaceful relations.
Murphy was inspired by the works of psychologists and scientists such as Herbert Spencer, Sigmund Freud, William James and Charles Darwin. Most of his works integrated aspects of each of these previous scientists. Murphy was a strong admirer of Freud, often drawing from his psychoanalytic theories. He considered Freud a true artistic genius, while still being critical of him. Murphy was especially interested in Freud's perspective of the self, including regression and needs. The world was skeptical of Freud at the time, yet Murphy still embraced his ideas and was often ridiculed for it.
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