TOP MODULE #5 • FOR PERSONAL ADMIRATION

• MOVING AWAY FROM PEOPLE

KAREN HORNEY • FOR AMBITION AND PERSONAL
ACHIEVEMENT
 Born in Eilbek (near Hamburg), Germany • FOR SELF-SUFFICIENCY AND
in1885 INDEPENDENCE
 Youngest of two children born to an older • FOR PERFECTION AND
sea captain and his young wife UNAVAILABILITY
 Entered University of Freiburg in 1906
Basic Hostility and Basic Anxiety
 One of the first women in Germany
NEUROTIC TRENDS
admitted to medical school, where she
specialized in Psychiatry
• PROTECTIVE DEVICES
 Analyzed in 1910 by Karl Abraham, one of
• AFFECTION
Freud’s close associates
• SUBMISSIVENESS
 Published The Technique of Psychoanalytic
• POWER OR PRESTIGE
Therapy in 1917
• WITHDRAWAL
 In 1932, left Germany to become Associate
Director in Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute
INTRAPSYCHIC CONFLICTS
 Published Neurosis and Human Growth in
1950
 Originates from interpersonal experiences
 Founded her own clinic
 The Idealized Self-Image includes 3 aspects:
 Died in New York in 1952
o Neurotic search for glory
o Neurotic claims
PSYCHOANALYTIC SOCIAL (THEORY)
o Neurotic pride
 Self-Hatred
 SOCIAL AND CULTURAL CONDITIONS
o Neurotic individuals dislike
LARGELY RESPONSIBLE FOR SHAPING
themselves because their real self
PERSONALITY
does not match insatiable
 WHEN NEEDS ARE NOT MET IN
demands of their idealized view of
CHILDHOOD, BASIC HOSTILITY AND ANXIETY
self
ARISES
 COMBAT ANXIETY IN 3 WAYS:
Feminine Psychology
o MOVING TOWARDS PEOPLE
o MOVING AWAY FROM PEOPLE
 Psychological differences between men and
o MOVING AGAINST PEOPLE
women are due to culture and social
expectations rather than to anatomy
NEUROTIC NEEDS
 View of the Oedipus complex was that any
sexual attraction or hostility of child to
• MOVING TOWARDS PEOPLE
parent would be the result of learning and
• FOR POWER AND APPROVAL
not biology
• FOR A POWERFUL PARTNER
o Found concept of “penis envy”
• TO RESTRICT ONE”S LIFE WITHIN
untenable
NARROW BORDERS
o If that existed, should also be
• MOVING AGAINST PEOPLE
“womb’s envy”
• FOR POWER
• TO EXPLOIT OTHERS
• SOCIAL RECOGNITION OR
PRESTIGE
Applications of Psychoanalytic Social Theory

PSYCHOTHERAPY
o Therapy focused on development
of self-realization through self-
analysis
o Utilizes same techniques as Freud
o Successful when patients can
assume responsibility for their
psychological development

Goal of Horneyian Psychotherapy:

o Help patients grow to self-

realization
o Give up their idealized self-image
o Relinquish their neurotic search for
glory
o Change self-hatred to self-
acceptance
o Focus on love, mastery and
freedom

Criteria for Evaluating a Theory

 Low in generating research

o Very low on organizing knowledge
o Moderate on internal consistency
 Low on falsifiability
o Low on guiding action
o Moderate on parsimony

CONCEPT OF HUMANITY
 FREE CHOICE OVER DETERMINISM
o CAUSALITY AND TELEOLOGY
o SOCIAL INFLUENCE OVER BIOLOGY
 OPTIMISM OVER PESSIMISM
o CONSCIOUS AND UNCONSCIOUS
o SIMILARITIES OVER UNIQUENESS

Life itself still remains a very effective therapist!

- Karen Horney-