1. Theories of Personality Horney: Psychoanalytic Social Theory
Chapter 6

2. Outline Overview of Psychoanalytic Social Theory Biography of Horney
Introduction to Psychoanalytic Social Theory
Basic Hostility and Basic Anxiety
Compulsive Drives
Intrapsychic Conflicts

3. Outline Feminine Psychology Psychotherapy Related Research
Critique of Horney
Concept of Humanity

4. Overview of Psychoanalytic Social Theory
Social and Cultural Conditions Largely Responsible for Shaping Personality
When Needs Are Not Met in Childhood, Basic Hostility and Anxiety Arise
Combat Basic Anxiety in Three Ways:
Moving toward people
Moving against people
Moving away from people

5. Biography of Horney Born in Eilbek (near Hamburg) in 1885
Youngest of two children born to an older sea captain and his young wife
Entered University of Freiburg in 1906
One of the first women in Germany admitted to medical school, where she specialized in psychiatry
Analyzed in 1910 by Karl Abraham, one of Freud’s close associates
Published The Technique of Psychoanalytic Therapy in 1917

6. Biography (cont’d)
In 1932, Horney left Germany to become Associate Director on Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute
Increasingly abandoned orthodox psychoanalysis in favor of a more socially oriented theory
Published Neurosis and Human Growth in 1950
Founded her own clinic
Died in New York in 1952

7. Psychoanalytic Social Theory
Horney and Freud Compared
Horney’s criticisms of Freud’s Theories
Orthodoxy leads to theoretical and clinical stagnation
Inaccurate views of feminine psychology
Should move beyond instinct and examine culture
The Impact of Culture
The Importance of Childhood Experiences

8. Basic Hostility and Basic Anxiety
Arise when parents do not satisfy child’s needs for safety and satisfaction
Basic anxiety
Repressed hostility leads to feelings of insecurity and apprehension

9. Compulsive Drives Neurotics Repeat Same Unproductive Strategy
Neurotic Needs
Attempts reduce basic anxiety
10 categories
Neurotic Trends Are Attitudes Toward Self and Others, and Include
Moving toward people
Moving against people
Moving away from people

10. Intrapsychic Conflicts
Originate from Interpersonal Experiences
The Idealized Self-Image Includes Three Aspects:
Neurotic search for glory
Neurotic claims
Neurotic pride
Self-Hatred
Neurotic individuals dislike themselves because their real self does not match insatiable demands of their idealized view of self

11. Feminine Psychology
Psychological differences between men and women are due to culture and social expectations rather than to anatomy
View of the Oedipus complex was that any sexual attraction or hostility of child to parent would be the result of learning and not biology
Found concept of “penis envy” untenable
If that existed, should also be “womb envy”

12. Psychotherapy
Therapy focused on development of self-realization through self-analysis
Utilizes same techniques as Freud
Successful when patients can assume responsibility for their psychological development
Goal of Horneyian psychotherapy:
Help patients grow to self-realization
Give up their idealized self-image
Relinquish their neurotic search for glory
Change self-hatred to self-acceptance
Focus on love, mastery, and freedom

13. Related Research The Neurotic Compulsion to Avoid the Negative
Robinson et al. (2007)
While most research has had an understandable negative bias, recent research has been investigating some benefits of neuroticism: It is possible to be a “successful neurotic” in that neurotic skill at avoiding negative outcomes improves daily mood

14. Critique of Horney Horney’s Theory Is:
Moderate on Internal Consistency and Parsimony
Low on Falsifiability, Generating Research, and Guiding Action
Very Low on Organizing Knowledge

15. Concept of Humanity Free Choice over Determinism
Optimism over Pessimism
Social Influence over Biology
Causality and Teleology, and Conscious and Unconscious Play Equal Roles
Similarities over Uniqueness