Henry Murray (1893-1988), developed a personality theory during the 1930s up to the 1960s, which he called the Needs Theory. A need in this theory is defined as 'the potentiality or readiness to respond in a certain way under given circumstances'.

There are two major types of needs, Primary, and Secondary. Primary needs are biologically based, such as food, water, sex, and the like, while Secondary needs are either derived from biological needs or are inherent in human psychological processes, such as achievement, recognition, autonomy, aggression, dominance, cognizance, nurturance, and the like.

1. Ambition Needs

• Achievement: Success, accomplishment, and overcoming obstacles.
• Exhibition: Shocking or thrilling other people.
• Recognition: Displaying achievements and gaining social status.

2. Materialistic Needs

• Acquisition: Obtaining things.
• Construction: Creating things.
• Order: Making things neat and organized.
• Retention: Keeping things.

3. Power Needs

• Abasement: Confessing and apologizing.
• Autonomy: Independence and resistance.
• Aggression: Attacking or ridiculing others.
• Blame Avoidance: Following the rules and avoiding blame.
• Deference: Obeying and cooperating with others.
• Dominance: Controlling others.

4. Affection Needs

• Affiliation: Spending time with other people.
• Nurturance: Taking care of another person.
• Play: Having fun with others.
• Rejection: Rejecting other people.
• Succorance: Being helped or protected by others.

5. Information Needs

• Cognizance: Seeking knowledge and asking questions.
• Exposition: Education others.
• Influences on Psychogenic Needs

Each need is important in and of itself, but Murray also believed that needs can be interrelated, can support other needs, and can conflict with other needs. For example, the need for dominance may conflict with the need for affiliation when overly controlling behavior drives away friends, family, and romantic partners. Murray also believed that environmental factors play a role in how these psychogenic needs are displayed in behavior. Murray called these environmental forces “presses.”

Research on Psychogenic Needs

Other psychologists have subjected Murray’s psychogenic needs to considerable research. For example, research on the need for achievement has revealed that people with a high need for achievement tend to select more challenging tasks. Studies on the need for affiliation have found that people who rate high on affiliation needs tend to have larger social groups, spend more time in social interaction, and more likely to suffer loneliness when faced with little social contact.

Source

http://psychology.about.com/od/theoriesofpersonality/a/psychogenic.htm