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The first part of this paper deals with the research findings on the personality characteristics, intellectual style, and developmental experiences of researchers in the natural sciences. The motivational base of scientific interests is then discussed from the viewpoints of autonomous ego interests, drives and wishes, trauma and mastery, and various other personal issues which contribute to making science the arena in which an individual's most salient dynamics are lived out. The enduring aspects of a scientific identity and scientific interests are distinguished from the motivational complex underlying creative aspirations, as well as from the creative process itself, with the intent of isolating the multiple foci around which conflicts may enter into the scientific enterprise.
In the latter part of this paper, I have attempted to examine and clarify some of the psychoanalytic constructs frequently employed in explaining creative functioning from the viewpoint of their applicability to science. No conclusions are offered as to the essential nature of scientific creativity. Rather, it has been my aim to facilitate a broad multidimensional analysis of different types of scientific innovation. I believe that if someone were to undertake a careful psychological analysis of all the scientific innovations of one creative genius, such as Freud, the diversity of ways in which his contributions came about would be rather astonishing