8.2 Karen Horney

What is at the root of neurosis - Horney

Anxiety, both derive from parental behaviours

Horney's two types of anxiety

Basic anxiety and Basic hostility

What is basic anxiety according to Karen Horney?

A fear of helplessness and worries about possible abandonment.

Example of basic anxiety

Being helpless in the face of a world that is abusive and dangerous

What is basic hostility?

A sense of anger and betrayal that a child feels towards parents for failing to provide a secure environment.

Ways to reduce basic anxiety

Securing affection, Being submissive, Attaining power, Withdrawing

Three basic tendencies

Moving towards people, Moving against people, Moving away from people

Moving towards people

a need for attention and approval, willingness to self-sacriffice in order to please others.

Moving against people

Driven by basic hostility, people try to hurt others before they hurt them

Moving away from people

Isolation inherent in basic anxiety

- detachment and alienation from other people

What is the compliant personality in Horney's theory?

An intense need for affection and approval, often leading to self-sacrifice to please others.

What tendency is a compliant perosnality

Needs of people who move towards others

What neurotic needs does a compliant personality need

For affection and approval

For a powerful partner

What characterizes the aggressive personality type?

An intense need to act tough and dominate others to achieve control and superiority.

What tendency is an aggressive personality

People who move against others

Neurotic needs of an aggressive personality

For power

To exploit others

For social recognition

For personal admiration

For personal achievement

What is the detached personality according to Horney?

An intense need for privacy and independence, often avoiding attachments to others.

What tendency is a Detatched perosnality

People who move away from others

Neurotic needs of a detatched personality

For self-sufficiency and independence

For perfection and unassailability

Restricting one's life to narrow borders

What are Horney's 10 neurotic needs?

1. For affection and approval, 2. For a partner, 3. For power, 4. To exploit others, 5. For social recognition, 6. For personal admiration, 7. For personal achievement, 8. For self-sufficiency and independence, 9. For perfection and unassailability, 10. Restricting one's life to narrow borders.

Interaction among hostility, anxiety, and defences

When things go wrong, a person becomes unhealthy in a way based on motives in the way they choose to avoid anxiety

What did Horney emphasize in her theories?

The influence of culture and a de-emphasis on infantile sexuality.