Final answer:
As a personality researcher in the tradition of Henry Murray, you'll focus on understanding the whole person, considering all aspects of their being, rather than isolating specific traits or relying on self-report measures.
Step-by-step explanation:
If you are a personality researcher and want to continue after the tradition of Henry Murray, this means you will be more interested in the whole person rather than specific traits. Henry Murray's work was holistic and focused on personology, which is the study of the individual's total personality. He believed that understanding a person requires taking into account all aspects of their being, not just isolated traits or behaviors.
Henry Murray's approach contrasts with trait theorists who focus on specific personality traits that define an individual's behavior. For example, a trait theorist like Gordon Allport categorized traits into cardinal, central, and secondary traits, aiming to describe the complete range of human personality. However, following Murray's tradition would involve looking at an individual's unique complex of mental, emotional, and behavioral characteristics.
Self-report questionnaires and the study of sexual fantasies as opposed to overt behaviors would be less aligned with Murray's holistic approach. Instead, Murray was inclined towards richer, more comprehensive tools for personality assessment, such as thematic apperception tests (TAT), rather than relying solely on self-reporting measures.