personality theory Flashcards
Neurosis
a mental condition that is not caused by organic disease, involving symptoms of stress (depression, anxiety, obsessive behaviour, hypochondria) but not a radical loss of touch with reality.
Womb Envy:
Envy males feel toward females due to her capacity for motherhood.
Flight from Womanhood
Women deny their femininity; unconsciously wish they were men.
Oedipus Complex:
Conflict between dependence and hostility; not sexual.
Motherhood or Career:
Conflict many women have difficulty resolving.
Optimism
biological forces do not condemn us.
Needs that move people toward others
These neurotic needs cause individuals to seek affirmation and acceptance from others. People with these needs are often described as needy or clingy as they seek out approval and love.
Needs that move people away from others:
These neurotic needs create hostility and antisocial behavior. These individuals are often described as cold, indifferent, and aloof.
Needs that move people against others:
These neurotic needs result in hostility and a need to control other people. These individuals are often described as difficult, domineering, and unkind.
The Need for Affection and Approval
Horney labeled the first need as the neurotic need for affection and approval. This need includes the desire to be liked, to please other people, and meet the expectations of others. People with this type of need are extremely sensitive to rejection and criticism and fear the anger or hostility of others.
The Need for a Partner
The second need is known as the neurotic need for a partner who will take over one’s life. This involves the need to be centered on a partner. People with this need have an extreme fear of being abandoned by their partner. Oftentimes, these individuals place an exaggerated importance on love and believe that having a partner will resolve all of life’s troubles.
The Need to Restrict One’s Life
The third need centers on the neurotic need to restrict one’s life within narrow borders. Individuals with this need prefer to remain inconspicuous and unnoticed. They are undemanding and content with little. They avoid wishing for material things, often making their own needs secondary and undervaluing their own talents and abilities.
The Need for Power
The fourth need Horney described is known as a neurotic need for power. Individuals with this need seek power for its own sake. They usually praise strength, despise weakness, and will exploit or dominate other people. These people fear personal limitations, helplessness, and uncontrollable situations.
The Need to Exploit Others
People with a neurotic need to exploit others view others in terms of what can be gained through association with them. People with this need generally pride themselves on their ability to exploit other people and are often focused on manipulating others to obtain desired objectives, including such things as ideas, power, money, or sex.
The Need for Prestige
Individuals with a need for prestige value themselves in terms of public recognition and acclaim. Material possessions, personality characteristics, professional accomplishments, and loved ones are evaluated based on prestige value. These individuals often fear public embarrassment and loss of social status.
