THEORIES OF PERSONALITY
MIDTERMS
KARNEY HORNEY
- September 16, 1885 - December 4, 1952
- Born in Hamburg, Germany
- Suffered her first episode of Depression as a teenager
- Studied medicine at the universities of Freiburg, Göttingen, and
Berlin
- She started to study psychoanalysis at the University of Berlin in
1909
- Horney began working with the Berlin Psychoanalytic Institute as
an analyst and teacher in 1920
- Moved to Brooklyn to be a lecturer at the New School for Social
Research, and a teacher at the New York Psychoanalytic Institute.
She met Harry Sullivan and Erich Fromm during this time
- Horney is perhaps best known for her critique of Sigmund Freud.
She and Alfred Adler are considered the founders of Neo-
Freudianism, a departure from Freudian orthodoxy
- Horney is widely regarded as the founder of feminine psychiatry.
Karen Died december 4, 1954 in New York, New York, United States
THE WORKS OF KAREN HORNEY
THEORY OF NEUROTIC NEEDS
Horney believed that neurosis resulted from basic anxiety caused by
interpersonal relationships:
- excessive admiration
- injustice and discrimination
- isolation
- lack of respect for needs/warmth/guidance
- over-protection
- arguments and hostility in the home
- too much or little responsibility
- unkept promises
THREE TYPES OF NEUROTIC NEEDS
- 1. needs that move people towards others
- 2. needs that move people away from others
- 3. needs that move people against others
HORNEY’S THEORY OF PERSONALITY
- aggression – assumes that everyone is enemy and only looks
out for themselves
- compliant – sensitive to the need of others, spontaneously
works to meet other 's expectation
- detachment – self-sufficient, create emotional distance to
others
HOW NEUROTIC NEEDS AFFECT BEHAVIOR
- can lead to behavior that is aggressive or antisocial.
- may cause people to withdraw.
- cause people to behave in ways that are compliant
10 NEUROTIC NEEDS
- 1. the need for affection and approval
- 2. the need for a partner
- 3. the need to restrict one's life
- 4. the need for power
- 5. the need to exploit others
- 6. the need for prestige
- 7. the need for personal admiration
- 8. the need for personal achievement
- 9. the need for independence
- 10. the need for perfection
FEMININE PSYCHOLOGY
- One of Horney’s main contributions was her work on feminine
psychology, which challenged traditional Freudian psychology’s
view of women.
- 1922 started Psychoanalysis, called “FEMININE PSYCHOLOGY”
- recognized the impact of social and cultural forces on
personality development.
- encompassed psychological conflicts inherent in womanhood
and women’s roles
- She encountered Freud' s notion of penis envy with her concept
of work of WOMB ENVY, suggesting men were envious and
resentful of women for possessing a womb and being able to
give birth
- Penis envy, according to Horney, comes from disappointment
with the girls ” father, leading to a “flight from womanhood” —
the desire not to be female.
- Horney disagreed with Freud’ s biological basis for women’s
inferiority feelings
- provide a socio-cultural basis instead
- suggested the feelings were the vault of being treated as in
inferior in a male-dominated society
- Horney disagreed with Freud’ s contention that Oedipus
feelings are universal and based on sexual/biological forces
- provided a socio-cultural instead
- suggested the feelings were the result of parents undermining
the child’s security
- reinterpreted the situation as a neurotic conflict between
dependence and hostility toward parents.
- Horney believed that both men and women have a drive to be
ingenious and productive, and women are able to satisfy this
need normally and internally—to do this they become pregnant
and give birth. However, men can only satisfy this need through
external ways.
- Horney pointed out the differences between the traditional
ideas of womanhood and this contemporary views
ABRAHAM HAROLD MASLOW
- Born on April 1, 1908 and was raised in Brooklyn, New York
- His parents were Jewish immigrants from Kiev (formerly part of
the Russian Empire)
- Maslow grew up in a multiethnic, working class neighborhood
but still had various encounters with antisemitic gangs.
- He rarely got along with his mother and eventually developed a
strong hatred towards her.
 THEORIES OF PERSONALITY
MIDTERMS
EDUCATION THE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF THE HEIRARCHY OF NEEDS

- He went to Boys High School which is one of the top high schools in PHYSIOLOGICAL NEEDS
Brooklyn, where his best friend was his cousin Will Maslow.
- Air, water, food, shelter, sleep, clothing, reproduction
- Maslow attended the City College of New York. He began taking
- Our most basic need is for physical survival, and this will be the
classes at night, hated it and then transferred to Cornell University.
first thing that motivates our behavior. Once that level is
He later left after just one semester due to poor grades and high
fulfilled, the next level up is what motivates us, and so on.
costs.
- The human body cannot function optimally if physiological
- He graduated from City College of New York and went to graduate
needs are not satisfied. Maslow considered physiological needs
school at the University of Wisconsin to study psychology.
the most important as all the other needs become secondary
- His psychology training at the University of Wisconsin left a strong
until these needs are met.
positivist mindset on him.
- Once an individual’s physiological needs are satisfied, the need
ACADEMIC CAREER for security and safety becomes salient.

- Maslow continued his work at Columbia University. SAFETY NEEDS

- Alfred Adler became his mentor
- Personal security, employment, resources, health, property
- He was on the faculty of Brooklyn College.
- Safety needs can be fulfilled by the family and society (e.g.,
- After World War II, he vegan to question the way psychologists has
police, schools, business, and medical care).
to come to their conclusions and began having his own ideas on
- For example, emotional security, financial security (e.g.,
how to understand the human mind.
employment, social welfare), law and order, freedom from fear,
- The horrors of war inspired him to have a vision of peace in him
social stability, property, health, and wellbeing (e.g., safety
which led to his groundbreaking psychological studies of self-
against accidents and injury).
actualizing.
- After physiological and safety needs have been fulfilled, the
- He was a professor at Brandeis University from 1951 to 1969 and
third level of human needs is social and involves feelings of
became a resident fellow of the Laughlin Institute in California.
belongingness.
- He died of a severe heart attack while jogging on June 8, 1970.
LOVE AND BELONGINGNESS NEEDS
THE HIERARCHY OF NEEDS
WHAT IS THE HEIRARCHY OF NEEDS? - Friendship, intimacy, family, sense of connection
- This is the third level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, because
- Maslow's hierarchy of needs serves as a framework for Humans are social creatures that crave interaction with others.
comprehending what drives human behavior. It maps various This level of the hierarchy outlines the need for friendship,
drives onto a pyramid, with each level standing for a different intimacy, and acceptance. Humans have the need to give and
need of people. These include physiological needs, safety, love receive love, and to feel like they belong in a group.
and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization.
ESTEEM NEEDS
DEFICIENCY NEEDS VS GROWTH NEEDS
- Respect, self-esteem, status, recognition, strength, freedom
DEFICIENCY NEEDS - The fourth level in Maslow's hierarchy includes self-worth,
feeling of accomplishment, and respect.
- These are needs you develop due to deprivation. They include
- Two categories of Esteem:
physiological, security, social, and esteem needs. You have to
• 1. Esteem for oneself
meet these needs to avoid unpleasant results.
• 2. The desire for reputation or respect from others
- Deficiency needs arise due to deprivation and are said to
- Esteem presents the typical human desire to be accepted and
motivate people when they are unmet.
valued by others.
- Also, the motivation to fulfill such needs will become stronger
the longer the duration they are denied. For example, the SELF-ACTUALIZATION NEEDS
longer a person goes without food, the more hungry they will
become. - Desire to become the most that one can be
- The highest level in Maslow’s hierarchy, and refers to the
GROWTH NEEDS realization of a person’s potential, self-fulfillment, seeking
personal growth, and peak experiences. This level of need
- The highest level of Maslow's pyramid is categorized as growth
refers to what a person’s full potential is and the realization of
needs.
that potential.
- Growth needs are more psychological needs and are associated
with the realization of an individual's full potential and the
need to 'self-actualize'. These needs are met more through
intellectual and creative behaviors.
 THEORIES OF PERSONALITY
MIDTERMS
CARL ROGER’S HUMANISTIC PSYCHOLOGY
BIOGRAPHY
- Carl Ranson Rogers
- Born: January 8, 1902, in Oak Park, Illinois
- Died: February 4, 1987, in La Jolla, California
- Known for: Client-centered therapy, fully functioning person,
self-actualization
- He graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 1924 with a
bachelor's degree in History
- Coined the term “nondirective therapy” and later termed as
“client-centered therapy”
- Among his best-known works are Client-Centered Therapy
(1951), On Becoming a Person (1961), and A Way of Being
(1980).
- His father was a Civil Engineer named Walter A. Rogers
- His Mother was a homemaker and devout Baptist named Julia
M. Cushing
- Carl was the 4th among the 6 Children of Walter Rogers and
Julia Cushing
- He was married to Helen Elliot and had three Children - He was
part of a Fraternity called "Alpha Kappa Lambda" at the
University of Wisconsin-Madison
PERSON-CENTERED THERAPY
- Rogers developed client-centered therapy (later re-named ‘person-
centered’), a non-directive therapy, allowing clients to deal with
what they considered important, at their own pace. Using this
method, the therapist will help remove the obstacle so the client
can have a normal development freely. By using non-directive
therapy, Rogers assisted his clients to take responsibility for
themselves. Rogers believed that in order for us to be able to grow
freely we must experience being understood and valued, while
problems within oneself generally develop from attempting to gain
positive regards from others rather following an "inner compass ".
PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT
- Central to Rogers’ personality theory is the self-concept or the
notion of self. Carl Rogers’ self-concept is a central theme in his
humanistic theory of psychology. The self-concept is a general term
for how someone thinks about, evaluates, or perceives themselves.
It encompasses an individual’s self-image, self-esteem and ideal
self.
- According to Rogers (1959), we want to feel, experience, and
behave in ways consistent with our self-image and which reflect
what we would like to be like, our ideal self. The closer our self-
image and ideal self are to each other, the more consistent or
congruent we are and the higher our sense of self-worth.
SELF – IMAGE
- It refers to the mental representation or picture that individuals
have of themselves, encompassing both physical appearance and
personal traits. It’s how people perceive themselves and believe
others perceive them.
- Personal experiences, interactions with others, societal
standards, and media influences, can shape this perception.
- Self-image is a significant component of one’s overall self-
concept and is crucial to self-esteem and confidence. It can
influence behavior, choices, relationships, and overall mental
well-being. Over time, a person’s self-image can change based
on experiences, feedback, achievements, and personal
reflections.
SELF – ESTEEM
- Or self worth, is the value or worth an individual places on
themselves. It’s the evaluative aspect of self-concept,
influenced by the individual’s perceived successes, failures, and
how they believe others view them. High self-esteem indicates
a positive self-view, while low self-esteem signifies self-doubt
and criticism.
- Rogers believed feelings of self-worth developed in early
childhood and were formed from the interaction of the child
with the mother and father.
High Self-Esteem:
- Individuals with high self-esteem generally believe that they
have good qualities and value themselves positively. They often
handle life challenges better, are more resilient, and have a
positive outlook on life.
Low Self-Esteem:
- Those with low self-esteem tend to view themselves negatively,
doubt their abilities, and are more critical of themselves. They
are more susceptible to experiencing feelings of worthlessness,
depression, and anxiety.
IDEAL SELF
- The ideal self is the version of oneself that an individual aspires
to become. This is the person who we would like to be. It
consists of our goals and ambitions in life, and is dynamic – i.e.,
forever changing. The ideal self in childhood is not the ideal self
in our teens or late twenties.
- According to Rogers, congruence between self-image and the
ideal self signifies psychological health. If the ideal self is
unrealistic or there’s a significant disparity between the real
and ideal self, it can lead to incongruence, resulting in
dissatisfaction, unhappiness, and even mental health issues.
- Therefore, as per Rogers, one of the goals of therapy is to help
people bring their real self and ideal self into alignment,
enhancing their self-esteem and overall life satisfaction.
1. Comparison with Real Self:
- The ideal self stands in contrast to the “real self, ” which
represents how a person currently sees themselves. The gap
between these two concepts can influence self-esteem. A
smaller gap can lead to higher self-esteem, while a larger gap
can result in feelings of dissatisfaction or inadequacy.
 THEORIES OF PERSONALITY
MIDTERMS
2. Dynamic Nature:
- The ideal self is not static.
3. Motivation:
- The ideal self can serve as a motivational force, pushing
individuals to pursue personal growth, learn new skills, and
strive for self-improvement.
4. Potential Pitfalls:
- While the ideal self can be a source of inspiration, an
unattainable or overly perfectionistic ideal self can lead to
disappointment, low self-esteem, and mental distress.
SELF – WORTH
- The self-worth of a person can give confidence and positive
perceptions or feelings about oneself. It makes you accept
challenges and their consequences or results, even if they end
up as a failure or cause you unhappiness.
- People with low self-worth tend to avoid uncomfortable or
overwhelming new situations in their life.
POSITIVE AND UNCONDITIONAL POSITIVE REGARD
Positive Regard
- Positive regard is connected to how people evaluate, judge, and
see us when we engage in interactions. Carl Rogers said that
every individual needs to feel respected and valued and to be
treated with love and affection.
Unconditional Positive Regard
- This is where people we are close to and who have a deep
connection with us accept and love us for who we are without
judgment or criticism even if we make mistakes. This
unconditional positive regard can be seen in our parents,
teachers, or social workers who interact with children. It is also
said that unconditional positive regard can be on a downside as
using it means that you will suppress your feelings, judgments,
opinions, and values.
CONDITIONAL POSITIVE REGARD
- Conditional positive regard is where people accept, approve, or
love you depending on your attitudes, behaviors, or actions
that are acceptable to them.
- This can affect a person’s self-worth as you are used to
behaving in a certain way to meet certain standards or
expectations to be accepted and recognized.
CONGRUENCE AND INCONGRUENCE
Congruence
- A person ' s " self-image " is accurate with his/her "ideal self". The
closer the " self-image " and "ideal self" are to each other, the more
consistent the person is and a person will have a higher worth of
self.
Incongruence
- There ' s a discrepancy between a person ' s "ideal self" and "
self-image ". This can lead to complications with the
development of one ' s personality and self-worth. People who
has inconsistent or incongruent "ideal self" and " self-image "
may resort to defense mechanisms.
FORMS OF ART
Self-actualization
- Rogers rejected the deterministic nature of both psychoanalysis
and behaviorism and maintained that we behave as we do
because of the way we perceive our situation. “As no one else
can know how we perceive, we are the best experts on
ourselves.” Self-actualization can be achieved when the " self-
image" is congruent or consistent with the "ideal self". Self-
actualization occurs when " what you want to be" is actually
close to your actual and present behavior or " who you are".
The Fully Functioning Person
- Rogers believed that every person could achieve their goal. This
means that the person is in touch with the here and now, his or
her subjective experiences and feelings, continually growing
and changing. For Rogers, fully functioning people are well-
adjusted, well-balanced, and interesting to know. Often such
people are high achievers in society.
ROGERS IDENTIFIED FIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF A FULLY
FUNCTIONING PERSON:
1. Open to experience:
- both positive and negative emotions accepted. Negative
feelings are not denied, but worked through (rather than
resorting to ego defense mechanisms).
2. Existential living:
- in touch with different experiences as they occur in life,
avoiding prejudging and preconceptions. Being able to live and
fully appreciate the present, not always looking back to the
past or forward to the future (i.e., living for the moment).
3. Trust feelings:
- feeling, instincts, and gut-reactions are paid attention to and
trusted. People’s own decisions are the right ones, and we
should trust ourselves to make the right choices.
4. Creativity:
- creative thinking and risk-taking are features of a person’s life.
A person does not play safe all the time. This involves the ability
to adjust and change and seek new experiences.
5. Fulfilled life:
- a person is happy and satisfied with life, and always looking for
new challenges and experiences.