Karen Horney (Soc PA theories) Flashcards
What brought about the creation of the socially-oriented school of psychoanalysis?
Sociology and anthro become disciplines in their own right towards the end of the 19th century.
Alfred Adler the first psychoanalyst to give adequate attention to the social dimension of human existence
In what ways did Soc PAs break from Freud?
- They rejected his biological determinism and his accent on sex, instead emphasizing the role of social and cultural factors
- acknowledge the uncon, but focus instead on the SELF - the unique individuality of each person
What made Horney break from her schooling and work in traditional PA?
- moving to the US made her realise that Freudian bio-deter and emphasis on sexuality was not appropriate to the Americans of the depression years
Where does Horney see problems arising from?
The conflict between the individual and their environment, not the opposing forces of the personality
Horney sees people as….
She thus proceeds from an….
But this can be inhibited by…
inherently constructive, drive towards self-actualization, can consciously change
optimistic view of humanity
unhealthy relationships with self or others, absences of drive can lead to sickness or death
What fosters growth and development of a person in Horney’s view?
This is therefore both a …. and a ….
self-knowledge
responsibility and privilege
In line with her optimistic view of human nature, what does Horney see as the difference between normal and neurotic people?
- only a difference of degree, neurotic individuals need only be set free of the limitations that block their growth potential
Horney did not theorise much as to the ….. and the …… of the personality, but focused instead on the …..
structure and development
dynamics
While not giving much information on the structure of the personality, she does mention a few concepts. What are they?
The differentiation between the idealized, the actual and the real self
Idealized self
- an unconsciously created attempt to deal with anxiety and compensate for feelings of inferiority; a self that is omnipotent and has unlimited potential
the actual self
- represents a person as they are consciously are in daily life, often rejected as it doesn’t meet the demands of the ideal self
The real self
- a force that emerges once we have relinquished all techniques for anxiety/conflict avoidance. This force urges us towards growth and fulfillment, it is alive, unique and the personal centre of ourselves
What aspect of the personality replaces Freud’s id in Horney’s theory?
And what might block this?
the growth principle - which channels our energy towards fulfillment
some unnatural influence such as culture or parents (environmental things)
Horney believes there are 2 crucial needs for a the unfolding of the personality. What are they?
- need for security (free from anxiety or threat
- need for satisfaction (basic needs; food, water, sleep, sex)
Outline Horney’s understanding of the basis for neuroses and growth
A child’s early dependence on environment and parent for satisfaction of needs can lead to neuroses/inferior feelings. These must be compensated for later but can lead to growth
In fulfilling the child’s needs, two things can take place:
1. real love, warmth, respect and sincerity from parents create environment for growth for the child
2. Parent irresponsibility and neuroticising (conflicting) cultural influences prevent need fulfillment, leading to basic hostility or basic anxiety in the child
Outline the creation of basic hostility and basic anxiety
Unfulfilled basic needs due to parents or environment means children will react with BH or BA
BH:
- results from child’s conflicting experience of environment; they are dependent on it but their needs are not met. Believes the world is out to cheat, attack, betray
BA:
- pervasive feeling of helplessness when one cannot cope with environment; lonely and helpless in hostile world
What are some parenting factors that could lead to the rise of BH and BA?
What is an environmental factor that may lead to BH and BA?
- domination, indifference, erratic behaviour, having to side in parental disagreements, unkept promises etc
- conflict with between western societal values (e.g., Christianity and competitive individualism); conflict between SA values (ubuntu and materialistic business society)
How does Horney see people dealing with BH and BA?
Initially, believed they manifested in 10 neurotic needs, with the needs being present in all people to greater or lesser extents
Later, saw needs to creating ways of reacting/relating: interpersonal styles.
Three interpersonal styles are used to cope with BH and BA, and can be expressed in normal of neurotic manners
(movement towards, against and away from others)
Explain the use of interpersonal styles and list the basic personality types that they underlie
- interpersonal styles are irreconcilable and individual. But, a healthy person has recourse to all three on alternating bases
- neurotic individuals become fixated and stuck on one style regardless of how appropriate it may be
Personality types
- submissive
- hostile
- detached
Outline the Movement Towards Others personality style (5 points)
- When healthy, move towards others in a cooperative and affectionate wat
- when unhealthy, done out of feelings of helplessness and desire for permanent support/affection from others
- usually found in those brought up in others’ shadows (e.g parent demanding complete devotion to be fav)
- type: submissive/compliant
- philosophy: if you are submissive you won’t get hurt
Outline the Movement Against Others interpersonal style
- when healthy, ability to argue and differ from people
- when unhealthy/fixated, feel separateness from others means hostility is a given. Mistrust others, obsessed with power, achievement, exploitation of others
- philosophy: “I have power, no-one can hurt me
- type: hostile/aggressive - “what can I get out of this?”
- Horney calls this the expansionist IP style (dominate and achieve) or which there are three types:
1. Narcissistic: self-cof, expect favours
2. Perfectionist: superior, mistakes are other incompetence
3. Arrogant/vengeful: v competitive, love to out-manoeuvre
Outline the Movement Away from Others IP style
- healthy; avoids dependence but with no hostility
- unhealthy; environment becomes too much and the withdraw entirely
- philosophy: “If I withdraw, no-one can hurt me”
- type: detached/aloof
- tend to be secretive, enjoy alone time, avoid relationships
- v destructive, extreme form is psychotic behaviour
In what ways does Horney agree with Freud on the development of the personality?
- the importance of childhood on the structure and function of mature personality
- the existence of conflict between children and their parents
In what ways does Horney differ from Freud on developmental theory?
- no emphasis on specific stages
- personality is capable of change, even after childhood
- see parent-child conflict not as sexual in nature but rather basic anxiety caused be dependence vs desire for independence
- womb-envy rather than penis envy (men’s oppression of women is an attempt to subvert their feelings of inferiority due to womb-envy
Outline Horney’s view of psychopathology
- enmeshed with her views of optimal development as neurosis vs normal is purely a difference of degree
- neurotic syndrome develops as a result of a vicious circle and the development of the idealised self.
- neurotic personalities suppress unacceptable features and internal conflicts of the actual self and masks them through the development of the IDEAL SELF.
- the ideal self BECOMES their actual self, which creates a vicious circle of neurotic syndrome
- ideal self sets unrealistic goals which the person PRETENDS to achieve for the sake of others, further distancing the actual from the ideal self and resulting in BH and BA => more internal conflict, more investment in ideal self, more distance …etc
What governs the neurotic individual?
- A “tyranny of shoulds” - creating an idealised image of themselves
- encouraged by western value of competitiveness
What kind of IP style is most commonly found in hypercompetitive people?
Moving against others
Basically, what happens to neurotic individuals?
- they become estranged from their actual selves and others because of their identification with the ideal self and their fixation upon one of the IP styles
*can be brought back in touch through psychotherapy
In what ways is the ideal self different for heathy people when compared to neurotic people?
- ideal self is only a goal they would life to attain
- not a vast difference between the ideal and actual self (creates little anxiety or conflict)
Healthy people, according to Horney,…
- are not alienated from their actual selves, and do not need to defend themselves during their interactions with others (through 1 IP style)
- in contact with actual self and true potential and can freely move towards, away or against others
What are the goals of therapy according to Horney?
- a realistic relationship between the ideal and the actual self
- acceptance of oneself and realistic goals
- remove growth blocking factors
- an opportunity to free oneself from fixation with one IP style
How did Horney interpret aggression?
- she rejects Freud’s notion of unconscious death drives
- believes people become aggressive if their physical well-being or values are threatened (be violent to live, not live to be violent)
- can alos be neurotic reactions of people in an “moving against people” IPS
- thinks we ought to try understand our aggression on a concious not UC level
Some of Horney’s major contributions?
- stimulated Feminine Psychology through putting forward a positive theory of femininity compared to Freud
- her concept of the self is evident in Carl Roger’s work and Albert Ellis’ RET
