This interview is with Robert Murphey, Professor Emeritus of Psychology He
was appointed in 1965 as a clinical psychologist with a Ph.D. from Vanderbilt
University. However, his research interests related to genetic and environmental
correlates of animal social behavior soon became a dominant focus. His papers
on animal behavior related to the effects of human contact and domestication
are highly cited. Many of his studies focus on the impact of genetic and
environmental factors on the behavior of domestic ruminants (e.g., mechanisms
of kin recognition, the importance of gene similarities and familiarity in
social aggregations, communal nursing of calves, and the adaptations of cattle
and water buffalo to challenging environments. He is interviewed by his friend
and colleague, Debra Long, Professor Emerita of Psychology.
