PSYCHOLOGY SEMINAR

KAREN HORNEY
BY DR DEEPA T. B

KAREN HORNEYS THEORY

Neurosis, Psychoanalysis, Inner conflicts, Self actualization, Feminine psychology Neofreudianism.

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BIOGRAPHY
Karen horney ( 1885-1952) 1885- Born near Hamburg, Germany 1904- Stepmother Sonni, divorced Horney's father 1906- Entered medical school 1909- Married Oscar Horney 1910- Horney gave birth to Brigitte, the first out of three daughters 1911- Her stepmother died 1915- Followed Freudian analysis with Karl Abraham to explore psychoanalysis 1919- Worked at the Berlin Psychoanalytic Clinic and analyzed patients 1920- Published papers about the topic of orthodox Freudians, psychosexuality 1923- Husband's (Oscar) business shut down and he developed meningitis 1926- Moved out of Oscar's house with her three daughters and moved to the U.S. 1930- Theories were established, focused on sociocultural factors of human development 1932- Stopped work at Berlin Psychoanalytic Clinic and Institute 1934- Moved to New York 1937- Published The Neurotic personality Of Our Time 1941- Developed different views with other psychoanalysts, the Association for the Advancement of Psychoanalysis which was driven away from Freud's assumptions 1942- Published Self-Analysis 1945- Published Our Inner Conflicts 1950- Published Neurosis and Human Growth 1952- Horney died
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NEUROSIS
A "psychic disturbance brought by fears and defenses against these fears, and by attempts to find compromise solutions for conflicting tendencies" Neurotic feelings and attitudes are determined by the way they live, according to Horney. Horney thinks a neurotic is driven by these emotional forces that are involved in their lives. Horney feels Freud ignores the culture factors which consequently leads to false acquisitions.
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 Horney's theory is perhaps the best theory of neurosis we have. In her clinical experience, she discerned ten particular patterns of neurotic needs.

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Neurotic needs
Moving toward People ( Compliance) 1. The neurotic need for affection and approval, the indiscriminate need to please others and be liked by them. 2. The neurotic need for a partner, for someone who will take over one's life. 3. The neurotic need to restrict one's life to narrow borders, to be undemanding, satisfied with little, to be inconspicuous.
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 Moving against People (Aggression) 4. The neurotic need for power, for control over others, for a facade of omnipotence. 5. The neurotic need to exploit others and get the better of them. 6. The neurotic need for social recognition or prestige. 7. The neurotic need for personal admiration. We need to be admired for inner qualities as well as outer ones. 8. The neurotic need for personal achievement.
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 Moving away from People (Withdrawal) 9. The neurotic need for self-sufficiency and independence. They tend to refuse help and are often reluctant to commit to a relationship. 10. The neurotic need for perfection and unassailability. But some people are rriven to be perfect and scared of being flawed. They can't be caught making a mistake and need to be in control at all times.
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Development
"basic evil," is parental indifference, a lack of warmth and affection in childhood. The key to understanding parental indifference is that it is a matter of the child's perception, and not the parents' intentions. Horney noticed that the first reaction to parental indifference is anger, a response she calls basic hostility. Most children, however, find themselves overwhelmed by basic anxiety, a matter of fear of helplessness and abandonment. Neither aggression nor compliance eliminate the perceived parental indifference. They "solve" the problem by withdrawing from family involvement 9 www.similima.com into themselves,

Psychoanalysis
The goal of this analysis is to basically change the person's opinions and perception of life by seeking a person's potential of self-realization. This emphasizes that the neurotic should be aware of their environmental factors that surround them and their inner-self, knowing who they are. This means "striving toward a clearer and deeper experiencing" (Neurosis and Human Growth, 364) with the direction of their lives. This analysis "cannot solve the ills of the world" (SelfAnalysis, 10) but it can explain the neurotic's problems and try to help them. Psychoanalysis therapy is "helping people toward their best possible further development"
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Inner Conflicts
Each person has inner conflicts. Horney believed that each of us has the capability and potential to become a decent person. This comes from the relationship with ourselves as well as with others which is disturbed with problems. However, "man can change and go on changing as long as he lives"
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Theory of the self

Self is in fact the core of one's own being and potential If one has an accurate conception of oneself, then one is free to realize one's potential and achieve what one wishes, within reasonable boundaries She believed that self-actualization is the healthy person's aim through life -- as opposed to the neurotic's clinging to a set of key needs.
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Ideal self and real self

Ideal self: what we feel we should be and is used as a model to assist us in developing our potential and achieving self-actualization . Real self: the actual person, contains potential for growth, happiness, will power, gifts, etc Has deficiencies that we do not like .
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 The neurotic person's self is split between an idealized self and a corresponding despised self. Individuals may feel that they somehow lack living up to the ideals. Goals set out by the neurotic are not realistic Despised self, on the other hand, has the feeling that it is despised by those around them, and assumes that this incarnation ie the ideal self is its "true" self . neurotic is like a clock's pendulum, oscillating between a fallacious "perfection" and self hate.
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"tyranny of the shoulds

search for glory

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Feminine psychology
A will to please, satiate and overvalue men had emerged in society Woman to has be dependent on men for their love, prestige, wealth, care and protection Women were regarded as objects of charm and beauty Against human being's ultimate purpose of self-actualization
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Neo Freudinasm
In association with Alfred Adler formed this decipline Criticised Freuds idea of PENIS ENVY Proposed WOMB ENVY in males Refuted psychiatrists' tendency to place so much emphasis on the male sexual organ. Gave importance to socio cultural factors.

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