Exam #2 - PSY 356

neo-freudian theory

elaborations to freud’s theories; retained the unconscious as a key determinant of behavior.

1. Many theorists rejected the idea that the adult personality is formed almost in its entirety within the first 5 or 6 years of life.

2. Many neo-Freudians challenged Freud’s emphasis on instinctual sources of personality; they argue that Freud did not consider the many social and cultural factors that shape who we are.

3. Many psychologists disliked the generally negative tone of Freudian theory. Many later psychologists adopted a more positive view of human behavior as a result of this critique.

freud

• The first comprehensive theory of human behavior and personality.

  • Other theorists have built their theories upon his.

• Also credited for developing the first system of psychotherapy; many of his tools have become standard within the field.

• Some writers argue that his ideas are not original.

  • Some of his ideas appear in literature that predates his own work.

• Hypotheses generated from his theory are often untestable.

• Relied heavily on case studies to support his theory, and this is not rigorous enough science for some.

alfred adler

best know for developing individual psychology and his ideas of superiority, parental influence, and birth order’s influence personality.

striving for superiority

The primary motivational force in Adler’s theory, which is the person’s effort to overcome feelings of inferiority. A motivating force; virtually everything we do is designed to establish a sense of superiority over life’s obstacles. 

inferiority complex

a belief that we are vastly inferior to everyone else.

Gemeinschaftsgefuhl

social interest; superiority must be combined with _.

parental influence

the role of parents and the behaviors that can lead to problems for their children later in life.

pampering

parents who give their children too much attention

robs the child of independence and adds to feelings of inferiority.

neglecting

parents sometimes neglect their children

children can grow up cold and suspicious of others.

birth order

Adler is the first psychologist to emphasize the role of _ in shaping personality.

first born children

subject to excessive attention from their parents and thus to pampering.

pampering is short-lived; after they are “dethroned”, their perception of inferiority is likely to be strong.

middle children

develop an intense superiority striving, and are consequently the highest achievers.

never afforded the luxury of being pampered because they must share their parent’s time/attention with another sibling; always a step behind; spend a lifetime trying to catch up.

last born children

pampered throughout childhood by all members of the family.

a spoiled child is a very dependent child; a child without personal initiative. Vulnerable to strong feelings of inferiority because everyone in their immediate environment is older and stronger.

erik erikson

approach to personality is called ego personality.

developed the stages of personality development.

believed personality development continues throughout a person’s lifetime.

ego psychology

developed by erik erikson; believed the ego performed many constructive functions.

ego

according to erikson, the principal function of the _ is to establish and maintain a sense of identity.

identity crisis

refers to the confusion and despair we feel when we lack a strong sense of who we are.

crises

the forks that represent turning points in personality development; how they are resolved determines the direction of our personality development.

basic trust vs mistrust

a child whose needs are met develop a sense of _.

infants who never recieve the loving care they need develop a sense of _.

stage one

autonomy vs shame & doubt

when children are allowed to manipulate and influence what they encounter, they develop a sense of _.

if not allowed to explore and exercise influence over the objects and events in their world, children develop feelings of _.

stage two

initiative vs guilt

children who organize and participate in social activities develop a sense of _.

children who lack initiative feel _.

stage three

industry vs inferiority

when children experience success and a belief in one’s strengths and abilities they develop _.

a lack of appreciation for one’s talents and skills; develops when children encounter failure.

stage four

identity vs role confusion

young men and women will ask the question “who am I?” and, if answered successfully, they develop a sense of _.

failing to develop a strong sense of _ leads to _.

stage five

intimacy vs isolation

young adults search for that special relationship within which to develop _ and grow emotionally.

people who fail to develop _ during this stage face _.

stage six

generativity vs stagnation

middle age adults develop a concern for guiding the next generation, or a sense of _.

adults who fail to develop this sense of _ may develop _: a feeling of emptiness and questioning about one’s purpose in life.

stage seven

ego integrity vs despair

reflections on past experiences and the inevitability of life’s end cause older adults to develop either a sense of _ or feelings of _.

karen horney

contributed to the concept of neurosis; explained neurosis to be caused by disturbed interpersonal relationships during childhood.

identified 3 styles neurotics adopt in their efforts to avoid anxiety-provoking experiences.

developed feminine psychology

moving towards people

Some children deal with anxiety by emphasizing their helplessness. 

They become dependent on others, compulsively seek affection and acceptance from their caregivers and parents. 

As adults, they have an intense need to be loved and accepted. 

Any relationship is better than loneliness and feeling unwanted. 

moving against people

Some children find hostility is the best way to deal with a poor home environment. Compensate for their feelings of inadequacy by pushing around other children.

As adults, these individuals often lash out at others with hurtful comments and have an ever-present need to exploit other people.

Horney maintained that this neurotic style is characterized by externalization, a concept similar to Freud’s notion of projection. 

These individuals believe that other people also are basically hostile and only interested in themselves.

moving away from people

Some children deal with their anxiety by tuning out the world. 

As adults, these neurotics seek jobs that involve little interaction with others. They might avoid affection, love, and friendship. They develop a numbness to emotional experiences. 

erich fromm

german neo-freudian; often applied psychoanalytic theory to social issues.

carl jung

established his own school of thought called analytic psychology.

proposed the idea that we all have a part of our mind called the collective unconscious, as distinguished from the personal unconscious.

proposed that the collective unconscious is made up of primordial images named archetypes.

analytic psycholoy

focuses on achieving personal wholeness by integrating conscious and unconscious elements of the mind.

collective unconscious

the part of the unconscious mind containing thoughts, images, and psychic characteristics common to all members of a culture.

made up of primordial images called archetypes.

pointed to the recurrence of certain symbols in dreams and hallucinations, art, folklore, and mythology.

archetypes

primordial images; main types include anima, animus, and shadow.

anima

the feminine side of the masculine.

animus

the masculine side of the female.

shadow

contains the unconscious part of ourselves that is essentially negative.

ex: good v. evil is the most common theme in literature because the collective unconscious readily grasps the concept.

feminine psychology

Horney’s doubts about traditional psychoanalytic theory began with what she considered Freud’s disparaging views of women. 

Horney countered Freud’s notion of penis envy through the concept of womb envy.

Horney also pointed out that Freud's observations and writings took place when society often placed women in inferior positions. 

penis envy

the desire every girl has to be a boy; freud’s notion.

womb envy

men’s envy of women’s ability to bear and nurse children; horney’s concept.

freud and religion

suggested that…

religious behavior represents a form of neurosis.

religion is a type of collective wish fulfillment.

God is an unconscious father figure generated to provide feelings of security.

jung and religion

believed that…

Religion provides a sense of purpose and security.

People seek psychotherapy when religion fails to provide reassurance.

Modern religions have developed practices to provide assurance, such as confession, absolution, and forgiveness. 

fromm and religion

his perspective suggested…

people turn to the authority of the church to escape a sense of powerlessness and loneliness.

drew distinction between authoritarian vs. humanistic religions.

authoritarian religion

emphasizes that we are under the control of a powerful God.

humanistic religion

God is a symbol of our own power.

personal narratives

a narration of one’s own life story which requires describing turning point scenes from one’s life.

generativity and life stories

Personal narratives are useful for studying Erikson’s stages of personality development. 

Research indicates that the number of stories reflecting the generativity theme increases during the midlife decades. 

Stories from highly generative adults contain increased themes about friendship, sharing, affiliation, and nurturance. 

strengths of neo-fruedians

Elaboration of important concepts like the role of social factors and the development of personality throughout the entire lifespan. 

Introduced new concepts into psychological literature such as inferiority crises, introversion, and inferiority complexes. 

Neo-Freudians influenced later theorists and psychotherapists. 

criticisms of neo-freudians

Limitations critics point out in Freud’s theory can also be found in some Neo-Freudian works. 

Some Neo-Freudian theories rely on questionable evidence (Ex: Jung’s description of collective unconscious).

Neo-Freudians as a group also often oversimplified or ignored important concepts. Their works are criticized as incomplete or limited.