PSYC 3331 Chapter 4: Neo-Analytic & Ego approaches to personality

What are the three primary ways Neo-Analysts deviated from orthodox Freudian theory?

Less emphasis on sexual libido

More emphasis on interpersonal relations

More emphasis on conscious thought

What are the three layers of the mind according to Carl Jung, and what does the deepest layer contain?

-Ego: The conscious mind.

-Personal unconscious: Individual forgotten or repressed memories.

-Collective unconscious: Deepest layer containing species-wide knowledge and universal symbols called archetypes (e.g., the hero, the wise old man).

What are Karen Horney's three neurotic coping strategies for overcoming basic anxiety?

1. Moving toward people: Seeking constant approval and a partner to solve all problems.

2. Moving against people: Adopting an aggressive, hostile stance against the world.

3. Moving away from people: Detaching and isolating oneself to avoid vulnerability. (Note: Healthy individuals use all three flexibly depending on the context.)

According to Horney, what causes the "despised self" to develop, and what is the primary goal of psychotherapy?

Falling short of the unrealistic expectations of our ideal self creates the "tyranny of the should," leading to self-hate and the development of the despised self. The goal of therapy is to let go of these perfectionistic goals and fully accept the real self.

According to E. Tory Higgins' Self-Discrepancy Theory, what distinct emotional outcomes result from a mismatch between the real self and the ideal/ought selves?

Real vs. Ideal Discrepancy: Fails to meet hopes and aspirations $\rightarrow$ leads to depression.

• Real vs. Ought Discrepancy: Fails to meet moral obligations/duties $\rightarrow$ leads to anxiety.

What did Alfred Adler mean by "compensation," and what is the difference between an inferiority complex and a superiority complex?

Compensation: An individual's attempt to cover up or overcome a real or imagined physical or psychological deficit.

• Inferiority Complex: An unhealthy, exaggerated belief that one is entirely deficient or helpless.

• Superiority Complex: A neurotic defense mechanism where a person overcompensates for deep feelings of inferiority by acting arrogant and boasting.

According to Adler, what two dimensions determine a person's "Style of Life," and what are the 4 resulting types?

Back: They are determined by Social Interest crossed with Energy:

1. Ruling-dominant: High energy, low social interest (aggressive/controlling).

2. Getting-leaning: Low energy, low social interest (reliant on others to meet needs).

3. Avoiding: Extremely low energy, low social interest (escapes problems instead of facing them).

4. Socially useful: High social interest, flexible energy (healthy, cooperative, and prosocial).

According to Alfred Adler, how does birth order generally influence personality characteristics?

First-borns: High achievers, independent, but can become power-focused after being "dethroned" by a new sibling.

Middle-borns: Competitive and ambitious, constantly striving to catch up to the eldest.

Last-borns: Highly social, creative, and spoiled, but may struggle with deep feelings of inferiority compared to older siblings.

Carl Jung’s Typological Theory divides personality into two Attitudes and four Functions. What are they?

Attitudes: Introversion (inward-focused) and Extroversion (outward-focused).

• Information-Gathering Functions: Sensation (trusting facts/five senses) vs. Intuition (looking at possibilities/meanings).

• Decision-Making Functions: Thinking (logic and objective truth) vs. Feeling (values and subjective emotions). (Note: This Attitude x Function framework forms the basis of the MBTI).

What are Jungian Archetypes, and where do they reside?

They are universal symbols, themes and instinctual patterns (e.g., the Hero, the Shadow, the Anima/Animus, the Wise Old Man) found across cultures, mythology, and literature. They reside in the collective unconscious, representing species-wide shared ancestral knowledge.

How did Karen Horney counter Sigmund Freud’s controversial concept of “penis envy” in women?

She rejected the idea that women are inherently anatomically defective men, arguing instead that Freud overemphasized biology and ignored societal and cultural patriarchy. She proposed “womb envy”, the idea that men experience an unconscious envy of women’s biological ability to carry and give birth to life, which they overcompensate for through achievemment in work.

Who developed the “Strange Situation” procedure, and what 3 childhood attachment patterns did it identify?

Developed by Mary Ainsworth (building on John Bowlby's work on separation anxiety), it used a laboratory parent-separation test to identify:

1. Secure: Distressed when parent leaves, easily comforted upon return.

2. Avoidant: Shows little distress when parent leaves and avoids them upon return.

3. Ambivalent (Anxious): Extremely distressed by separation, seeks comfort upon return but resists it with anger or clinging behavior.

According to Hazan and Shaver (1987), how do early childhood attachment styles manifest in adult romantic relationships?

Childhood attachments form "working models" that carry over into adulthood:

• Secure: Comfortable with intimacy, trusts partners, and forms stable, long-term relationships.

• Avoidant: Uncomfortable getting close to others, fears intimacy, and values extreme detachment/independence.

• Ambivalent: Constantly worried a partner doesn't truly love them, fears abandonment, and can be overly possessive or clingy.

How did Erik Erikson's stage theory differ from Freud's, and what are the psychosocial crises for adolescence vs. young adulthood?

Erikson's theory covers the entire lifespan (8 stages from infancy to old age) and focuses on psychosocial ego crises rather than psychosexual stages.

• Adolescence Crisis: Identity vs. Role Confusion (Figuring out who you are and your place in society).

• Young Adulthood Crisis: Intimacy vs. Isolation (Seeking deep, committed relationships vs. fearing vulnerability and becoming isolated).