Chp 4 - Neo-Analytic and Ego Aspects of Personality Flashcards
Post-Freudian Personality Theory (Neo-Analytic) Diff from Freud
- Shift focus from unconscious and from Id to Ego
- Personality development past childhood
- Social, cognitive and interpersonal causes to anxiety
- Growing emphasis on Identity, self-monitoring, motivation
- Motives beyond sexual, people are actually altruistic
Ego (Neo-Analytical view)
The person’s ability to unify experiences and actions
* creates self-identity
* unifies personality
* protects identity from levelling influence of society
- Sense of self protect us from being flattened by socialisation
* Importance on social, cultural factors
What made Carl Jung’s ideas break apart from Freud’s?
- Adult development
- Future goals behaviour
- Libido not primarily sexual, but to fulfil goals
*Different structure to mind
What mainly made Adler’s ideas break apart from Freud’s?
Ideas of
1. social motivation
- We are social creatures, an isolated human being doesn’t thrive
2. strive for success
- source of motivation for behaviour
Organ inferiority
- Idea that everyone is born weak, dependent
- Everyone has a physical weakness
- attempt to be compensation source of motivation
Aggression Drive
- Inability to achieve goal
- Perceived inferiority, helplessness, generates aggression
*Aggression → anxiety - Drives could be directly effective or reversed into an opposite drive
Aggression Drive
- Inability to achieve goal
- Perceived inferiority, helplessness, generates aggression
*Aggression → anxiety - Drives could be directly effective or reversed into an opposite drive
Social Interest
- Potential to live cooperatively with others
- Value common good, concern
- Feeling of oneness with all humanity, empathy for each individuals
- Innate, but must be fostered and allowed to develop, (diff envir can prevent it)
- Origins in parent-child relationship
emphasis on immediate fam, expands to all human kind
Adler’s idea of striving for success:
- Reduced motivation to a single drive
Organ inferiority -> strive to overcome inferiority
Leads to Striving for Success - self-improvement, growth
- social interest
Inferiority Complex
- Accept inferiority
- Takes normal feelings of incompetence and exaggerates them,
- Make indiv feel as it’s impossible to achieve goals
Superiority Complex
- Way of maintaining self-worth
- Exaggerated overcompensation for the inferiority felt
Fictional Goal
-Creative, responsible
- Personality is created by an impt part of how we make choices
- We make choices, we determine what happens to us
Fictional goal (fictional finalism)
* Ideal (Is usually not a realistic goal, kind of vague)
* it gives direction, goals (small n specific)
* Vague (party in unconscious)
Development of personality during childhood (Alder) 3 factors to be considered
birth order, environment, parenting skills
Style of life
consistent ways we live and
behave to reach our final goal
Neglected/pampered parenting
- Fictional goal unconscious
- Unhealthy style of life
Love/security parenting
- Fictional goal largely conscious
- Acts on social interest
- Healthy style of life
Unhealthy (mistaken) styles of life (3)
- types are not absolute, can be fixed by therapy
1) Ruling Type
2) Getting Type
3) Avoiding Type
Ruling Type
- Domineering, competitive, selfish, arrogant, vain
- Self-destructive bahaviours
E.g. im bad at math so im not gonna study -> if I fail, ofc its cuz I didn’t study
Getting Type
Dependent, passive, prone to depression
Avoiding Type
- Isolated, risk averse
- not the same as introversion
Healthy Style of Life (1)
Socially Useful Type:
Socially Useful Type
1) Adaptive: situation demands a certain skill, can change into it
2) Social Interest:
- Act socially, seek success for all, not just self: social interest
3) strong internal locus of control
- Very wide range of positive behaviours (holding ourselves accountable for our actions)
-If sth I did poorly/ well: it is prob due to my decision,
- Success/ failure is due to self but not external
What does Erik Erikson’s theory put emphasis on?
- Psychosocial Development,
- Identity
- Importance of Culture,
- Extend, not replace Freudian theory
Erikson’s Eight Stages of
Psychosocial Development (Characteristics)
- Stage theory like Freud
- Lasting impact
- Social and cultural context, (e.g. is this stage frd oriented?)
- Throughout lifespan
- each stage contributes specific ego strength
- challenge or crisis
- continuum with extremes
Erikson’s Eight Stages of
Psychosocial Development (names)
Stage 1: Trust vs. Mistrust (Infancy from birth to 18 months)
Stage 2: Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt (Toddler years from 18 months to three years)
Stage 3: Initiative vs. Guilt (Preschool years from three to five)
Stage 4: Industry vs. Inferiority (Middle school years from six to 11)
Stage 5: Identity vs. Confusion (Teen years from 12 to 18)
Stage 6: Intimacy vs. Isolation (Young adult years from 18 to 40)
Stage 7: Generativity vs. Stagnation (Middle age from 40 to 65)
Stage 8: Integrity vs. Despair (Older adulthood from 65 to death)
Stage 1: Trust vs. Mistrust (Infancy from birth to 18 months)
Is my world predictable
or unpredictable?
- We are first dependent on others
“When im hungry do I get food?”
Yes: predictable: world is safe
No or not sure: world is unsafe and a threat
Relationship: Mother/Primary Caregiver
optimistic, trusting, hope <–> pessimistic, suspicious
Stage 2: Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt (Toddler years from 18 months to three years)
Can I do things for myself, or must I rely on others?
relationship: Parents/caregivers
self-sufficiency, autonomy, will <–> Shame, self-doubt
Stage 3: Initiative vs. Guilt (Preschool years from three to five)
If I do this, am I good or bad?
- Family
If get a good balance of understanding:
- Sensitive to the feelings of others
- Value own initiative and also others (a balance)
Unruly, irresponsible <– Initiative, Sense of purpose, Sensitivity —> Guilt, Low self-esteem (overly sensitive to others)
Stage 4: Industry vs. Inferiority (Middle school years from six to 11)
Am I competent?
Do I have skills?
- Skills: whatever skills that was valued by that culture
E.g social or even soccer
- school, peers
Competence, Self-assurance <–> Inferiority, Low self-esteem
Stage 5: Identity vs. Confusion (Teen years from 12 to 18)
Adolescence on Who am I? Where am I going?
- Peers
- Have an expressive style, self-concept, try diff styles:
- Might not be resolved until early adulthood, or even not ever been resolved
- Not sure about who they are
Stable self-concept, Identity, Fidelity <–> Unstable self-concept, Confusion
4 types of Personal Identity in Adolescence
1) Identity Diffusion Confusion: No direction
2) Identity Achievement: Made choices, Pursuing choices
3) Moratorium: Undecided, In progress
4) Identity Foreclosure: Commit to goals no exploration
Identity Diffusion Confusion
No decision
No direction
- Show strong external locus on control
- Become apathetic
- Vulnerable to peer pressure or isolates themselves
- Low self-esteem
- Anxiety, confusion
Identity Foreclosure
- Commit to goals no exploration
- Rigid, intolerant
- Defensive
- Dogmatic
- Low self-esteem
Not develop your own goals, but let others tell you what to do:
e.g. parents impose you to be a doctor, therefore you become a doctor
Stage 6: Intimacy vs. Isolation (Young adult years from 18 to 40)
Late adolescence, early adulthood
Should I share my life with another?
- Partners
Ego strength: Ability to love <–> Social and emotional isolation, manipulative
Stage 7: Generativity vs. Stagnation (Middle age from 40 to 65)
Middle adulthood
Will I produce something of value?
- Shared household, next generation
Care, concern for others, Achievement <–> Boredom, Stagnation, Self-indulgence
-
If doing sth doesn’t help: do sth more extreme until not bored
Stage 8: Integrity vs. Despair (Older adulthood from 65 to death)
Late adulthood
Have I lived a full, productive life?
- Humankind
Satisfaction, Integrity, Wisdom <–> Despair, Regret
Karen Horney Main Ideas
Interpersonal Theory; Understanding Neuroses, Personality Disorders;
Feminist Psychology; Relational Theory; Attachment
What ideas did Karen Horney agree and disagree about Freud’s theory?
Within psychoanalytic tradition
- Power of the Unconscious
- Importance of childhood conflicts
Break with Freudian psychoanalytic theory
- Interpersonal issues, not sexual impulses
- Importance of social relationships
- Culture not biology, gender influences not sex diff
- Women want autonomy & power, not a penis
The Self: The 3 selves
1) Real Self
2) Despised Self
3) Ideal Self
Real Self
What we perceive about ourselves
Psychological Health = Acceptance of Real Self
Despised Self
- Perceptions of inferiority, feelings of helplessness
- Based on other’s negative evaluations, parental neglect
Ideal Self
- One’s view of perfection, what is the perfect you?
- unrealistic
- Strive towards ideal self, not always consciously
- Neurotic needs, the “tyranny of the shoulds”
- More should’s you build in, the greater the discrepancies between your real self:
- Harder to achieve
- Won’t be comfortable with real self
Development of Interpersonal Orientation, If child loved and nurtured
If child loved and nurtured, child learns
* cared for
* safe
* loved, loveable
* healthy, flexible interpersonal orientation
Development of Interpersonal Orientation, If child’s needs not met
If child’s needs not met, they learn
* to be vulnerable
* to feel helpless
*Anger
Develop Basic Anxiety:
- Fear of being alone. Helpless in a hostile, threatening world
* unhealthy, inflexible interpersonal
orientation
Styles of Interpersonal Orientation
Three choices:
We can move toward, against, or away from others
- If healthy resolution, flexible and shift
styles as appropriate
Defenses Against Anxiety
Normal (spontaneous) vs. Neurotic (compulsive)
Toward people: Friendly, loving personality vs. Passive personality
Against People: Survivor in competitive vs. Aggressive personality
Away From People: Autonomous, serene personality vs. Detached personality
Passive Personality
love, protection, strive for affection and approval
- Worst thing: not being accepted by others
Compliant, passive
Neurotic Needs
- Affection and approval
- Self-worth dependent of others
- Powerful partners
- Narrow limits to life
Aggressive Personality
Mastery over others, difficulty handling emotionally positive relationships
Neurotic Needs
- Power
- Exploitation
- Recognition, prestige, personality admiration
- Personal achievement (over others)
Withdrawn Personality
Social and emotional withdrawal, detached
Neurotic Needs:
- Self-sufficiency and independence
- Perfection and unassailability (unwilling to get help as only they can do it well)
- Narrow limits
Object Relations Theory
If needs met, child learns to be caring,
nurturing, trusting
If needs not met, child learns to feel
vulnerable, helpless, angry, lacks trust
Relationship with mother
Mother internalized “mental object”
Expectations about relationships
Early attachment
cared for, loved → wanted and loveable
not cared for → unwanted, unloveable
Attachment
The strong, enduring emotional bond between infant and caregiver(s)
- Provides object for later attachment
