Ryff receives psychology award

For her contributions to the study of human lives, Carol Ryff, a psychology professor, has received the Henry A. Murray Award from the Society of Personality and Social Psychology, part of the American Psychological Association (APA).

Ryff, who joined the faculty in 1985, focuses much of her research on psychological well-being. One of her main interests is resilience: how some individuals are able to maintain or restore psychological well-being during adversity.

Currently director of UW–Madison’s Institute on Aging, Ryff leads a $26 million, multi-institutional project called MIDUS II – “Midlife in the U.S.” During this project, the Wisconsin psychologist and some 40 other researchers will follow the behavioral, sociological, psychological and biological well-being of more than 7,000 people between the ages of 35 and 85 years living throughout the United States. The goal of the project, she says, is to understand the different pathways to health and illness as people age.

The Henry A. Murray Award, named after the Harvard University psychology professor who studied personality, recognizes those leaders in the field who integrate theory and methodology to understand the many dimensions of human personality. The award includes a $1,000 prize.

“Murray pushed for the understanding of human personality in multiple contexts,” says Charles Snowdon, chair of psychology. “By developing a well-integrated approach to understanding personality and well-being, Dr. Ryff honors Murray’s legacy.”