Midterm Flashcards
SELF PSYCHOLOGY
Kohut: a theory that the self is the center of psychological motivation, organization, and change in personality. It also assumes that psychological damage to the self produces psychopathology.
Object Relations Theory
Kohut and Mahler. States that the course of human development depends on the quality
of the relationships established between individuals, particularly between parents and their
children.
Self Objects
Kohut. representations of psychologically important people who can help us cope
with and resolve problems.
Primary Narcissism
Kohut. initial state of well-being and satisfaction in which all of the infant’s
needs are gratified and the infant feels an oceanic perfection and bliss
Grandiose Self
Kohut. the primitive view of oneself as great. The is a need for the baby to be
MIRRORED (parent reflects child’s feeling i.e. when child is sad the parent’s face shows sad,
when child is happy, parents face reflects child’s feeling)- a child’s yearning for admiration and
approval.
Idealized Parental Image
Kohut. the child’s initial view of their parents as perfect, that is, as all knowing and all-powerful. The child’s need to idealize is a need to seek security by identifying with all-powerful figures, usually parents.
Empathic Parents
Kohut. parents capable of assuming the perspective of the child, to know and understand his or her experiences.
Optimal Frustration
Kohut. ideal, not traumatic, frustration of a person’s needs (by parents) that fosters new learning and personal growth. Delayed gratification. Knowing that they will
eventually be there.
Nuclear Self
Kohut. the foundation of personality, established through a learning process that is
initiated by empathic parents, in which individuals modify their unrealistic beliefs about
themselves and their caretakers.
Psychosis
Kohut. a severe disturbance of the self in which defenses do not cover major defects in the self.
Borderline States
Kohut. a disorder of the self in which damage to the self is permanent or protracted. In contrast to the psychoses, the central defect is better covered by major
defenses.
Schizoid Personality Disorders
Kohut. Borderline State. The defective self structures are protected against further damage by aloofness and superficial involvement in relationships.
Paranoid Personality Disorders
Kohut. Borderline State. Deficiencies in self structures are shielded against further damage by using hostility and suspicion to keep potentially injurious objects at a safe
distance.
Understimulated Self
Kohut. Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Leaves individuals with an empty feeling, bored and depressed
because their parents have failed to respond empathically to their mirroring and idealizing
needs.
Overstimulated Self
Kohut. Narcissistic Personality Disorders. is when individuals exposed to excessive stimulation in childhood,
because their fantasies of greatness were continually reinforced by unempathic caregivers.
Overburdened Self
Kohut. Narcissistic Personality Disorders. is when a person has not had an opportunity to merge with the calmness
of an omnipotent self-object, usually a parent. The result is lack of self-soothing capacity that
could have been learned through such contact.
Mirror-Hungry Personalities
Kohut. Narcissistic Behavior Disorders. are individuals who crave self-objects whose confirming and
admiring responses will increase their feelings of self worth.
Ideal-Hungry Personalities
Kohut. Narcissistic Behavior Disorders. are individuals who experience themselves as worthwhile as
long as they can related to people they can admire.
Alter-Ego Personalities
Kohut. Narcissistic Behavior Disorders. are individuals who feel worthwhile only if they have a relationship
with a self-object who looks and dresses like them and has similar opinions and values.
Merger-Hungry Personalities
Kohut. Narcissistic Behavior Disorders. individuals who experience others as their own self.
Contact-Shunning Personalities
Kohut. Narcissistic Behavior Disorders. the intense longing to merge with self-objects, such individuals are highly sensitive to rejection. To avoid this pain, they avoid social contact.
Empathy (Kohut)
Kohut THERAPEUTIC TECHNIQUE. plays a big role, it is the ability to assume the perspective of another person, to know and understand his or her experiences.
Mirror Transference
Kohut THERAPEUTIC TECHNIQUE. Transference in which a person who had not been adequately mirrored
that is, confirmed and given approval by his mother relives these experiences with the
therapist.
Idealizing Transference
Kohut THERAPEUTIC TECHNIQUE. the process in which a patient whose needs to be protected by
an admired, powerful parent in early childhood were frustrated relives these experiences.
Alter-Ego Transference
Kohut THERAPEUTIC TECHNIQUE. the process in which a patient whose needs for belonging as
a member of the group have not been met by family members relives these experiences with an accepting therapist
Counter-Transference (Kohut)
Kohut THERAPEUTIC TECHNIQUE. the therapist's tendency to react to the patient on the basis of his or her (therapist's) own narcissistic needs and conflicts.
Kohut goal of therapy
to redirect narcissistic energies from the unrealistic self structures to the nuclear self and ego……reparenting
INDIVIDUAL PSYCHOLOGY
Adler. a theory that seeks to understand the behavior of each
person as a complex, organized entity operating within a society.
Social Interest
Adler. the innate tendency in human beings to help and cooperate with one
another as a means of establishing a harmonious and productive society.
Style of life
Adler. Life style or Style of life is the individual’s distinctive personality pattern, which is basically
shaped by the end of early childhood.
Birth Order
Adler. how each child is treated by parents depends to a large extent on the child’s
order of birth within the family.
first born understands the importance of power, dominance, responsibility and
intellectual achievement.
second born (and later born) likely to be rebellious and highly competitive. Also could be
opposite of first born qualities.
youngest born family members tend to spoil them.
only born likely to lack social competence (Falbo proved Adler wrong on this one)
ruling-person type
Adler. Destructive life style. Person who strives for personal superiority by trying to exploit and control others
getting-person
Adler. Destructive life style. attains personal goals by relying indiscriminately on others for help.
avoiding-person
Adler. Destructive life style. lacks the confidence to confront problems and avoids or ignores
them.
feelings of inferiority
Adler. striving for superiority in accordance with social interest vs
feelings of inferiority and striving for superiority in a selfish, uncooperative way
behavior is purposeful and goal-directed
Adler
Faulty Motivations
Adler. Goal of therapy was to change faulty motivations
Can change our lives through education, goals
Adler
Autistic Phase
Mahler. 0-1 months. “wow”
Symbiotic Phase
Mahler. 1-6 months. One with the world
Separation Individuation Phase
Mahler. 6-32 months. “I am”
Rapprochement Phase
Mahler’s focus 18-32 months.
Mahler’s Focus
Attachment and early childhood development
SPLITTING
Mahler defense mechanism. separate objects and feelings into good and bad. Just like a child, at time of need can’t hold good mom and bad mom. Either one.
PROJECTION
Mahler defense mechanism. a part of self is expelled from the intrapsychic to an external
object transference. Project unwanted parts of self onto others.
PROJECTIVE IDENTIFICATION
Mahler defense mechanism. when split off part and project it onto someone
else, the person unconsciously accepts it and responds as the
projector intended.
INTROJECTION
Mahler defense mechanism. taking something perceived in the external world into one’s internal where it becomes an active part of self.
Secure Attachment
Mahler. People can go away and you are good because you know they’ll come back
Ambivalent Attachment
Mahler. ○ Sometimes parents were good, sometimes they were bad. Don’t know what to expect
Object Relations
Margaret Mahler’s theory of personality. internalized images of self and other based on early parent child interactions which determine a persons mode of relationship with others.
Ego Psychology
Erik Erikson’s theory of personality. theory that the ego is not always controlled by biological impulses, but functions independently of these urges, thereby providing the individual with an opportunity for
creative action and positive growth. Unlike Freud, Erikson felt the ego and self grows throughout
the lifespan, not just the first six years of life.
Epigenetic Principle
Erikson. development unfolds in a predetermined sequence across a series of stages.
Coined the term Identity crisis
Erik Erikson
oral-sensory stage
Erik Erikson stage 1. 0-1 years old. Trust vs. mistrust. Dependent on relationship with mother. trust forms the basis for growing the identity. Gain the virtue of hope from this stage.
muscular-anal stage
Erik Erikson stage 2. 1-3 yrs old. Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt Stage. toilet training. Gain will from this stage.
locomotor-genital stage
Erik Erikson stage 3. Initiative vs. guilt. 3-6 yrs old. Dressing yourself. Will gain purpose from this stage
latency stage (Erikson)
Erik Erikson stage 4. Industry vs. Inferiority. 6-11 yrs old. Will gain competence from this stage. in school, comparing themself to others
adolescence (Erikson)
Erik Erikson stage 5. Identity vs. Role Confusion. 12-18 yrs old. Will gain fidelity, faithfulness from this stage. Who am I, how do I fit in?
young adulthood stage
Erik Erikson stage 6. Intimacy vs. Isolation. 18-35 yrs old. Will gain love from this stage.
middle adulthood stage
Erik Erikson stage 7. Generativity vs. Stagnation. 35-64 yrs old. Giving to the next generation or stagnating. will gain care from this stage
late adulthood stage (Erikson)
Erik Erikson stage 8. Ego integrity vs. despair. 65+. Will gain wisdom from this stage. will either feel happy about their lives or despair
Sociocultural theory
Karen Horney’s theory. Neurosis is how people cope and have
control over interpersonal issues that happen day to day, according to Horney.
Basis of basic anxiety
Horney. Isolation and feeling helpless
3 strivings that make up basic conflict in life
Horney. Toward people, away from people, against people
Moving toward people
Horney. Compliant type. Overly agreeable. 1. The need for affection and approval; pleasing others and being liked by them.
2. The need for a partner; one whom they can love and who will solve all problems.
Moving against people
Horney. Aggressive Type. The need for power; the ability to bend wills and achieve control over others—while most
persons seek strength, the neurotic may be desperate for it.
4. The need to exploit others; to get the better of them. To become manipulative, fostering the
belief that people are there simply to be used.
5. The need for social recognition; prestige and limelight.
6. The need for personal admiration; for both inner and outer qualities—to be valued.
7. The need for personal achievement; though virtually all persons wish to make
achievements, as with No. 3, the neurotic may be desperate for achievement.
Moving away from people
Horney. Detached type. Reluctant to open up to people. The need for self sufficiency and independence; while most desire some autonomy, the
neurotic may simply wish to discard other individuals entirely.
9. The need for perfection; while many are driven to perfect their lives in the form of well being,
the neurotic may display a fear of being slightly flawed.
10. Lastly, the need to restrict life practices to within narrow borders; to live as inconspicuous a
life as possible.
Neurotic competitiveness
Horney
Hypercompetitiveness
Horney. Type of neurotic competitiveness. Hyper-competitveness is an indiscriminate need to win at all costs in order to feel superior.
Personality correlates of hyper-competitiveness include:
- distrust of others
- low self-esteem
- exhibitionism
- narcissism-self centeredness
- constant need for prestige, status, and power
Competition Avoidance
Horney. Type of neurotic competitiveness. This is a need by individuals to check their ruthless ambition because of excessive fear of
losing the affection and approval of others as a consequence of either being successful in
competition with others or through failure in such competition.
Personality correlates of competition avoidance
- fear of success
- fear of failure
- self-handicaping
- abnormal level of modesty
- too conforming to others’ expectations
Idealized Self
Horney. An image neurotics create as a defense. An idealized version of yourself that can never be attained. Creates tyranny of the shoulds.
Actual Self
Horney. Self as it is in the moment. Person’s actual strengths and weaknesses
Real Self
Horney. unique set of potentials for constructive growth within each person. Healthy person will have this.
Tyranny of the Shoulds
Horney. moral imperatives that drive neurotics to accept nothing less than
perfection from themselves, coming from comparison of actual self to idealized self.
Psychoanalytic Theory
Freud’s theory. Freud believed instincts drive our personality, which are rooted in the unconscious. Biological based theory
Freud’s personality theory focuses on
Id, which is biological
Repression
Freud defense mechanism. unpleasant memories are situated in the unconscious, out of reach from
consciousness and causing pain.
Denial
Freud defense mechanism. A person’s refusal to perceive an unpleasant event in external reality.
Projection
Freud defense mechanism. attribution of undesirable, personal characteristics to others to ward off
anxiety
Rationalization
Freud defense mechanism. use of plausible, but inaccurate excuses to relieve anxiety.
Suppression
Freud defense mechanism. the individual’s active conscious attempt to stop anxiety provoking thoughts
by simply not thinking about them.
Freud conscious
ideas and sensations of which we are aware. It operates
on the surface of personality and plays a relatively small role in human personality.
Preconscious
Freud. contains those experiences that are unconscious but that could
become conscious with little effort.
Freud unconscious
operates on the deepest level of personality. It consists of those
experiences and memories of which we are not aware. Such mental states remain out
of awareness because making them conscious would create tremendous pain and anxiety
for us.
Components of instinct
Freud. Instincts have four basic characteristics.
- a source in some bodily deficit
- an aim gratification of the need
- an impetus that propels the person to act
- an object through which the instinct achieves its aim.
Freud Id
the original aspect of personality, rooted in the biology of the individual, consists of
unconscious SEXUAL AND AGGRESSIVE instincts. The id is amoral and unconcerned with
the niceties and conventions of society. The PLEASURE PRINCIPAL is indiscriminate seeking
of pleasure and the avoidance of pain.
Freud ego
organized aspect of id, formed to provide realistic direction for the person’s
impulses. Ego defense mechanisms are procedures to reduce or remove painful anxiety. - Interacts with environment. Regulates Id and super ego
Freud super ego
the agency which describes the individuals internalization of societal values.
Conscience is the punitive aspect of the superego, violation makes the person feel guilty and
ashamed.
Psychosexual development
Freud’s theory of development
Oral phase, Freud
0-1 years. Practically all id. Cannot distinguish between the self and the environment. Focus of pleasurable sensations in the mouth. Child may become fixated on this stage if parents overindulge or underindulge the child’s need for food. As an adult could be alcoholic
Anal stage, Freud
2-3 years. Pleasurable sensation focused on anal cavity. Ego develops. Child realizes they can say “no” to things, control things. All about toilet training. If parents are too harsh
and demanding the child may develop traits of defiance, obstinacy and
stinginess, overly orderly OCD
Phallic Stage, Freud
4-5 yrs. Oedipal and electra complex. Outcome of conflict is birth of superego. If fixated here will have to continually prove sexual adequacy.
Latency stage, Freud
6-12 years old. Sexual development is at a standstill. Believed personality is developed in first 5 years of life and changing it after that is extremely difficult. Learn social skills in school.
Genital stage, Freud
12+ years. final stage of psychosexual development in which an attempt is made
to conduct a mature love relationship with a member of the opposite sex.
GENITAL CHARACTER s a mature, healthy individual who is sexually
developed and capable of relating to members of the opposite sex.
Displacement
Freud defense mechanism. unconscious attempt to gratify an id impulse by shifting to a substitute object. For example if a student is bullied, they may bully someone else to gratify their urge to fight back against the bully and they bully a weaker student because their bully is too strong for them to attack.
Sublimation
Freud defense mechanism. form of displacement where the unacceptable id impulses are transformed into something socially acceptable, rather than just transforming the object. Can sublimate need for aggression to becoming a great athlete to achieve need for dominating others. Freud believed sublimation was necessary for civilized society to survive.
Regression
Freud defense mechanism. an individual exhibits lower maturity than their normal level of maturity. Child might suck their thumb
Reaction formation
Freud defense mechanism. conversion of an undesirable impulse into its opposite. A man who hates his wife but is extremely nice to her “killing her with kindness”
Intellectualization
Freud defense mechanism. dissociation between one’s thoughts and feelings. Focusing on facts and logic rather than your feelings
Analytic Psychology
Carl Jung’s theory. depth psychology which emphasizes the complex interplay
between oppositional forces within the PSYCHE and the ways in which these internal
conflicts affect personality development.
Psyche
Jung. total personality
PERSONA
Jung. the role human beings play in order to meet the demands of others.
SHADOW
Jung. the inferior, evil, and repulsive side of human nature.
ANIMA
Jung. feminine archetype in men, including both positive and negative characteristics
of the transpersonal female.
Animus
Jung. masculine archetype in women, including both positive and negative
characteristics of the transpersonal male.
Personal vs. collective unconscious
personal unconscious is our personal memories that are too painful to remember. collective unconscious is instincts that go beyond personal experience, from all of human history. archetypes are in collective unconscious
Individuation, Jung
2nd half of life is about becoming the best you, you can be
TYPOLOGY
Jung. Introversion and extroversion, how people respond to the world.
Jung’s path to growth
shining light on unconscious
Complexes
Jung. Collection of thoughts united by a feeling
mother complex
Principle of equivalence
Jung. idea that energy expended in one part of the psyche will be
compensated for by an equal amount of energy in the same or different form in another
part of the psyche.
Mandala
Jung. a symbolic representation of the self, multifaceted, balanced. harmonious.
