Psy 2403 - Horney, Chapter 6: Horney, Introduction to Personality: Ch 5- Karen Horney

feminine psychology

-disagree with Oedipus complex -learning not biology -penis envy and womb envy -basic distrust

psychotherapy (horney)

-help patients grow to self realization -give up their idealized self image -relinquish their neurotic search for glory -change self-hatred to self acceptance

horneys concept of humanity

-high on free choice, optimism, unconscious, influences, and social factors -average on casualty vs teleology -low on uniqueness

examples of basic evil

-indifference towards child -rejection of child -hostility towards child -obvious preference for a sibling -unfair punishment -ridicule -humiliation -erratic behavior -unkept promises -isolation of child

critique of horney

-moderate on parsimony -low on falsibility, organizing, knowledge, and guiding action -very low on generating research

characteristics of basic hostility

-repressed feelings of rage -originates in childhood -cant be expressed -caused by basic evil -leads to basic anxiety

intrapsychic conflicts

-tyranny of shoulds -neurotic search of glory -neurotic claim -neurotic pride (all cause anxiety and bring self hatred and externalization)

10 neurotic needs

1. Affection and approval 2. A dominant partner 3 Live within narrow limits 4. power 5. exploit others 6. social recognition and prestige 7. personal admiration 8. ambition and personal achievement 9. self-sufficiency and independence 10. perfection and unassailability

4 general ways/ protective devices that people protect against feeling alone

1. affection 2. submissiveness 3.Power/ prestige/ possession 4. withdrawal

7 auxiliary approaches

1. blindspots 2.compartmentalization 3. rationalization 4. excessive self-control 5. arbitrary rightness 6. elusiveness 7. cynicism

3 neurotic trends

1. moving toward people 2. moving against people 3. moving away from people

3 elements that are part of the neurotic search for glory

1. need for perfection 2. neurotic ambition 3. drive toward vindictive triumph

6 major ways self-hatred is expressed

1. relentless demands on the self 2. merciless self-accusation 3.self-contempt 4. self-frustration 5.self-torment 6. self-destructive actions and impulses

3 aspects of the idealized image

1. the neurotic search for glory 2. neurotic claims 3. neurotic pride

Neurotic needs

10 original defenses against basic anxiety overlap one another and a single person might employ more than one

Neurotic trends (neurotic needs)

10 strategies for minimizing basic anxiety

arbitrary rightness

A protective device in which people are convinced that they are invariably correct in all their judgments. the neurotic chooses one solution, one answer, one position, and declares the problem is solved and debate is over. Becomes "truth".

moving away from people

Adjustment to basic anxiety that uses the need to be self-sufficient. Horney referred to the person using this adjustment technique as the detached type.

moving toward people

Adjustment to basic anxiety that uses the need to be wanted, loved, and protected by other people. Horney referred to the person using this adjustment technique as the compliant type.

moving against people

Adjustment to basic anxiety that uses the tendency to exploit other people and to gain power over them. Horney referred to the person using this adjustment technique as the hostile type.

excessive self-control

Guarding against anxiety by controlling any expression of emotion. Goal is to maintain rigid self control

Critic of Freud

Horney held that Freud's explanations result from a pessimistic concept of humanity based on innate instincts and the stagnation of personality.

Psychoanalytic social theory

Horney's theory of personality that is build on the assumption that social and cultural conditions are largely responsible for shaping personality; especially in childhood

self analysis

Process of self-help that Horney believed people could apply to themselves to solve life's problems, and to minimize conflict.

basic anxiety

Psychological state that exists when basic hostility is repressed. It is the general feeling that everything and everyone in the world is potentially dangerous and that one is helpless relative to those dangers.

rational emotional behavior therapy

a cognitive restructuring therapy in which the faulty beliefs of neurotics that lead to emotional disturbance are identified, challenged, and then replaced with more constructive, rational ways of thinking and behaving.

Basic formation of later neurotic personality

a difficult childhood due to the needs becoming so powerful; must be a culmination of experiences that create a pattern of behavior

basic hostility

a feeling that develops in children whose needs for safety and satisfaction are not meet not expressed as rage, it is repressed and the child is not aware of it

neurotic strategies to cope with basic anxiety

a. neurotic need for affection and approval. b. neurotic need for partner to control one's life. c. neurotic need to restrict one's activities. d. neurotic need for power. e. neurotic need to exploit others. f. neurotic need for social recognition and prestige. g. neurotic need for personal admiration. h. neurotic ambition for personal achievement. i. neurotic need for self-sufficiency and independence. j. neurotic need for perfection and unassailability.

Moving against people

aggressive people see everyone as hostile and in turn they are just as compulsive as compliant people are. move against people by appearing tough or ruthless, motivated by strong need to exploit others and use them for their own benefit seldom admit their mistakes and are compulsively driven to appear perfect, powerful , and superior

hypercompetitiveness

an attitude in which a person is driven to attain personal success at any cost.

personal development competitiveness

an attitude in which the primary focus is not on the outcome but on the enjoyment and mastery of the task.

humanistic view of development

an optimistic view of development that sees each person as having intrinsic and unique potential for constructive growth.

basic evil

anything that undermines a child's sense of security.

idealized self-image

attempt to solve conflicts by painting a godlike picture of oneself created through early negative influences that create feelings of isolation and inferiority and a sense of alienation from themselves

perfection and unassailability

attempts to be flawless because of hypersensitivity to criticism

Externalization

belief that the causes of one's major experiences are external to oneself

Genuine love

can be a healthy, growth-producing experience people can benefit from a slight desire for love

self-contemot

can be expressed as belittling, disparaging, doubting, discrediting, and ridiculing oneself- it prevents people from striving for improvement or achievement

Time when most neurotic conflicts/ problems arise and why

childhood due to possible traumatic events such as sexual abuse, beatings, open rejection, or pervasive neglect- often due to a lack of genuine warmth and affection

safety

childs need for security and freedom from fear that Horney believed must be satisfied before normal psychology development could occur

morbid dependency

compliant people desperately strive for affection and approval of others and/or they seek a powerful partner who will take responsibility for their lives

Neurotic search for glory

comprehensive drive toward actualizing the ideal self

neurotic ambition

compulsive drive toward superiority- will often invest energy into something that will bring them success

Effect of western society contradictions

creates intrapsychic conflicts that threaten the psychological health of normal people and provide nearly insurmountable obstacles for neurotics

Power/ prestige/ possession

defense against the real or imagined hostility of others, takes the form of tendency to dominate others protection against humiliation and is expressed as a tendency to humiliate others acts as a buffer against destitution and poverty and manifests itself as a tendency to deprive others

excessive self control

defense mechanism whereby a person exercise willpower, consciously or unconsciously, to keep emotional impulses under control.

externalization

defense mechanism whereby a person experiences inner emotion externally and blames others for his or her weaknesses and failing.

primary psychopathy

disorder characterized by aggressiveness, callousness, and a lack of remorse for transgressions.

secondary psychopathy

disorder characterized by excessive guilt and by a lack of clarity about life goals.

personality correlates of hypercompetitiveness

distrust of others, low self-esteem, exhibitionism, narcissism, and a constant need for prestige, status, and power.

cynicism

doesn't believe in anything; points out the meaninglessness of others beliefs; believed to grow from repeated failures associated with previous beliefs defense mechanism in which the person claims to believe in nothing so that he or she cannot be hurt or disappointed by others.

exploit others

dreads being taken advantage of by others but thinks nothing of taking advantage of others

Moving away from people

employed in order to solve basic conflict of isolation by acting in a detached manner is an expression of needs for privacy, independence, and self-sufficiency often build a world of their own and refuse to allow anyone to get close to them- greatest fear is to need other people

idealized image

fantasies of neurotic individuals in which they visualize themselves as perfect beings.

personality correlates of competition avoidance

fear of success, fear of failure, self handicapping, abnormal level of modesty, and excess conformity to others' expectations.

What ideal conditions provide children with

feelings of safety and satisfaction will allow them to grow in accordance with their real self

idealized self

fictitious view of oneself, with its list of "shoulds" that displaces the real self in the neurotic personality

female masochism

for Freud, a perversion in which women experience a blending of pleasure and pain during certain activities and fantasies. he believed that male masochism occurred only in males with feminine (passive) natures.

self-handicapping

giving plausible excuses for poor performance in order to protect the individual's self esteem ( I failed that test because my friends forced me to go out partying with them the night before the test.)

power

glorifies strength and despises weakness

self sufficiency and independent

goes to great extremes to avoid being obligated to anyone and does not want to be tied down to anyone or anything.

neurotic claims

grow out of normal needs and wishes, however they are built on the fantasy world a neurotic has not reality- they believe they should be treated based on how they see their idealized view of themselves. Neurotics become bewildered, indignant, and unable to comprehend why others have not granted their claims

personal development competitor

healthy competitor characterized by wanting to win, but not at all costs. such a person is oriented primarily toward self- improvement and task mastery and sees his or her opponents as helping him or her to attain these goals.

goal of Horneyian therapy

help patients gradually grow in direction of self-realization through the giving up of their idealized self-image patients want to be free, but believe they are right so the 3 neurotic trends are referred to as love, mastery, or freedom

penis envy

in Horney's view, essentially a sociocultural phenomenon in which women are indoctrinated to see themselves as inferior and men as superior. as a result there unconsciously strive to emulate masculine goals and values and to obtain the advantages and privileges that accrue to members of the male sex.

detached types

individuals who protect themselves by continual avoidance of others. Such individuals move away from people - a trend that protects the person against basic anxiety by utter detachment and extreme self-sufficiency.

innate tendency to strive for truthfulness, productivity, and harmonious relationships with fellow humans

innate tendency to strive for truthfulness, productivity, and harmonious relationships with fellow humans

Horney on the Oedipus complex

insisted it was due to certain environmental conditions and not biology NOT universal is an expression for the neurotic need for love main goal of child is security not sexual intercourse

ambition and personal achievement

intense interest in become famous, rich, or important regardless of cost.

blind spots

involves denying or ignoring certain aspects because they're not in accordance with one's idealized self; similar to freud's ego defense mechanism of denial of reality

compartmentalization

involves dividing one's life into various components with different rules applying to different components

self-frustration

is designed to actualize an inflated self-image neurotics are frequently shackled by taboos against enjoyment

Neurotic Pride

is false pride based on the image of the idealized self and it is loudly proclaimed in order to protect and support a glorified view of one's self

tyranny of the should

key part of neurotic search for glory striving toward an imaginary picture of perfection through an unconscious and unrelenting drive

neurotic need for a powerful partner

lacking self-confidence neurotics want to be attached to a powerful partner includes an overvaluation of love and a dread of being alone or deserted

personal admiration

lives to be flattered and complimented

social recognition and prestige

lives to be recognized

neurotic need for self-sufficiency and independence

many neurotics have a strong need to move away from people to prove they can get along without others

self-destructive actions and impulses

may be physical or psychological, conscious or unconscious, acute or chronic, done in reality or imagination ex's abusing drugs/ alcohol/ driving recklessly/ suicide/ quitting successful job/ sexual promiscuousness

satisfaction

meeting of such physiological needs as those for water, food, and sleep required for a child's biological survival

drive toward a vindictive triumph

most destructive element may be disguised as a drive for achievement/ success but its main focus is to shame or defeat others through ones success each victory causes more fear of failure which in turn creates a need for more victories

dominant partner

must be affiliated with someone who will protect them from all danger and fulfill their needs

competition avoidance

need by individuals to check their ruthless competitive ambition because of excessive fear of losing the affection and approval of others. the terms neurotic competitiveness and competition avoidance appear anti ethical, but are not. Horney was a net-freudian so she believed that competition avoiders would consciously avoid competition, but unconsciously they would still be intensely and irrationally competitive. they can not show their hyper competitiveness to others for fear of losing their affection and approval, so they repress their intense competitive feelings. these feelings, however, continue to operate on an unconscious level.

neurotic trends seen in moving away from people

need to be powerful, exploit others, receive recognition and prestige, to be admired, and to achieve

compliant types

neurotic individuals who cope with feelings of basic anxiety by indiscriminately seeking the approval and affection of others through excessive conformity. individuals who cope with feelings of basic anxiety by indiscriminately seeking the approval and affection of others through excessive conformity. Such individuals move toward people - a trend that protects them against basic anxiety by self-effacement and obliteration

aggressive types

neurotic individuals who protect themselves against feelings of insecurity by exploiting others in order to feel superior. individuals who protect themselves against feelings of insecurity by exploiting others in order to feel superior. Such individuals move against people - a trend that seeks to control basic anxiety through domination and exploitation of others.

Neurotic need for affection and approval

neurotics attempt indiscriminately to please others try to live up to expectations, dread self-assertion, and are quite uncomfortable with the hostility of others/ within themselves

merciless self-accusation

neurotics constantly berate themselves can take a variety of forms from taking responsibility for natural disasters, to questioning the virtue of their own motivations

neurotic need to exploit others

neurotics frequently evaluate others on the basis of how they can be sued or exploited, but they fear being exploited themselves

withdrawal

neurotics frequently protect themselves against basic anxiety either by developing an independence from others or by becoming emotionally detached from them feel that they cannot be hurt by other people

neurotic need to restrict one's life within narrow borders

neurotics frequently strive to remain inconspicuous, be second, be content with very little downgrade their own abilities and dread making demands of others

neurotic need for personal admiration

neurotics have a need to be admired for what they are rather than their possessions inflated self-esteem must be continually fed by the admiration and approval of others

Submissiveness

neurotics may submit themselves either to people or institutions (organization or religious) will often submit in order to gain affection

neurotic need for ambition and personal achievement

neurotics often have a strong drive to be the best and they must defeat others in order to confirm their superiority

Horney on penis envy

no reason for girls to desire penis, believed a masculine protest is what they have women wish to have the qualities/ privileges that our culture regards as masculine

Moving toward people

not moving toward them in the spirit of genuine love it is the neurotic need to protect oneself against feelings of helplessness through compliance

elusiveness

opposite of arbitrary rightness defense mechanism whereby a person refuses to take a position on anything so that he or she can never be proven wrong and criticized or ridiculed by others.

hostile type

person who uses moving against people as the major means of reducing basic anxiety (needs 4-8)

detached type

person who uses moving away from people as the major means of reducing basic anxiety (needs 9-10)

compliant type

person who uses moving toward people as the major means of reducing basic anxiety (needs 1-3)

Desperate need for love

provides fertile ground for the development of neuroses neurotics strive in pathological ways to find love which results in low self-esteem, increased hostility, basic anxiety, more competitiveness, and continuous excessive need for love and affection

need for perfection

refers to the drive to mold the whole personality into the idealized self, try to achieve perfection by erecting complex set of "shoulds" and "should nots''

two childhood needs

safety and satisfaction

real self

self that is healthy and conducive to positive growth. Although each person is born with a healthy real self, the view of this real self can be distorted by the basic evil. The basic evil causes a person to view their real self negatively then attempt to escape from it. Although the neurotic self views themselves negatively, it remains a source for potential health and positive growth

neurotic need for social recognition or prestige

some combat basic anxiety by trying to be first, important, or attract attention to themselves

neurotic need for perfection and unassailability

striving relentlessly for perfection, neurotics receive proof of their self-esteem and personal superiority dread making mistakes/ personal flaws and they desperately attempt to hide their weaknesses from others

affection and approval

striving to be liked and pleasing to other people, want to live up to expectations of others; dread is assertiveness and anger

Self-hatred

the inability to be happy with oneself because ones real image does not meet the demands of their idealized self

basic conflict

the incompatible tendency to move toward, against, and away from people this term is used because very young children are driven in all 3 directions

Examples of influences that interfere with ideal conditions for healthy development

the parents' inability or unwillingness to love their child due to their own neurotic needs they don't satisfy the basic needs of safety and satisfaction

Isolation

the result of competitiveness and the basic hostility creates a feeling a being alone

Compulsion

the salient characteristic of all neurotic drives this is what causes the protective devices to become unhealthy, a person feels compelled to rely on them

actual self

the self as it is at the moment, including all of the person's actual strengths and weaknesses.

Moving toward people way for thinking

these neurotics see themselves as loving, generous, unselfish, humble, and sensitive to other people's feelings- willing to be subordinate to others it is a philosophy of life

relentless demands on the self

these people continue to push themselves towards perfection, exemplified by tyranny of should, make demands of themselves and don't stop when they have reached any form of success

relation between basic hostility and basic anxiety

they are inextricably interwoven hostile impulses are the principal source of basic anxiety, but anxiety can also contribute to feelings of hostility

neurotic need for power

this need is usually combined with the needs for prestige and possession and manifests itself as the need to control others and avoid feelings of weakness or stupidity

Affection

this strategy does not always lead to authentic love Some people may try to purchase love with self-effacing compliance, material goods, or sexual favors

rationalization

type of self-deception that involves logical, plausible, but inaccurate excuses to justify one's perceived weakness, failures, and inconsistencies; complaint types offer excuses for aggression and hostile types offer them for acts of kindness.

live life within narrow limits

very conservative; avoids defeat by attempting very little.

Conditions children need for healthy development

warm and loving but not overly permissive creates experience of both genuine love and healthy discipline

Competition (Horney)

what modern culture is based on among individuals

self-realization

what people tend to move towards when they are given an environment of discipline and warmth in which they can develop feelings of security and self-confidence

sense of identity

what people who feel alienated from themselves desire, it is often solved through the creation of an idealized self-image

Needs for affection

what results from feelings of isolation; will be intense cause people to overvalue love- causes people to see love and affection as the solution for all their problems

tyranny of the shoulds

when ones idealized self is sub for the real self, ones behavior is governed by several unrealistic "should"

self-torment

when people's main intention is to inflict harm or suffering on themselves some people attain masochistic satisfaction by anguishing over a decisions, exaggerating headache pain, cutting themselves with a knife or other things