Towards Finding the Person in the Data of Personality

This article is based on an address given on the occasion of receiving the 2000 Henry A. Murray award. The article presents a glimpse of my life story in personality and contributions to the field. These are placed in the context of observations about the recent history and sociology of the field. I outline some perspectives on the data that are collected and missing in personality research as well as the analyses that are conducted and those that are not conducted. These considerations identify both some persisting limitations in personality research and alternative analytic approaches that may prove useful in framing and answering new questions. Of particular promise are intensive studies that allow researchers to maintain a clear focus on the individual person.