PERSONALITY PSYC: CH 5. & CH 6.

CH5 - The Psychoanalytic Approach: Neo-Freudian Theory, Application, and Assessment CH 6 - The Neo-Freudian Theories: Relevant Research

Neo-Freudian

theories should be viewed as different perspectives within the general psychoanalytic approach to personality.

striving for superiority

The primary motivational force in Adler’s theory, which is the person’s effort to overcome feelings of inferiority.

inferiority complex

a belief that they are vastly inferior to everyone else.

The result is feelings of helplessness rather than an upward drive to establish superiority.

Gemeinschaftsgefuhl

roughly translates from German to social interest. Successful businesspeople achieve a sense of superiority and personal satisfaction through their accomplishments, but only if they reach these goals with consideration for the welfare of others.

pampering

parents who give their children too much attention → robs the child of independence and adds to feelings of inferiority.

neglect

The second major mistake parents sometimes make → Children who receive too little attention from their parents grow up cold and suspicious.

birth order

firstborn children in a family are said to be different in personality from middle-born children, who are different from last-borns. According to Adler, ____ children are subject to excessive attention from their parents and thus to pampering.

collective unconscious

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

primordial images

The collective unconscious is made up of ______ → Jung described these images in terms of a potential to respond to the world in a certain way.

Archetypes

anima

is the feminine side of the male; Deep inside every masculine man is a feminine counterpart.

animus

is the masculine side of the female; Deep inside every feminine woman is a masculine self.

shadow

contains the unconscious part of ourselves that is essentially negative, or to continue the metaphor, the dark side of our personalities.

• It is the evil side of humankind.

• is located partly in the personal unconscious in the form of repressed feelings and partly in the collective unconscious.

ego psychology

the principal function of the ego is to establish and maintain a sense of identity. People with a strong sense of personal identity are aware of their uniqueness—what makes them special—and maintain a strong sense of continuity with their past self and what they imagine is their future self.

identity crisis

comes from Erikson’s work. He used this phrase to refer to the confusion and despair we feel when we lack a strong sense of who we are.

trust vs mistrust

infancy

autonomy vs shame and doubt

toddler

initiative vs guilt

early childhood

industry vs inferiority

elementary school age

identity vs role confusion

adolescence

intimacy vs isolation

young adulthood

generatively vs stagnation

adulthood

ego integrity vs despair

old age

crises

We continue down this path from infancy to old age, but at eight different points along the way we encounter a fork—two directions in which to proceed. In Erikson’s model, these forks represent turning points in personality development

• Of the two alternatives for resolving each crisis, one is said to be adaptive, the other not

basic trust

The child whose needs are met develops a sense ___

• For this child, the world is a good place and people are loving and approachable.

basic mistrust

some infants never receive the loving care they need. As a result, they develop a sense of ____.

• These children begin a lifelong pattern of suspicion about and withdrawal from other people.

autonomy

When allowed to manipulate and influence much of what they encounter, children come through this stage with a sense of ____.

• They feel powerful and independent. They have a strong sense of personal mastery. People with a sense of ____ are confident that they can navigate their way through the sea of obstacles and challenges life has in store

shame and doubt

If not allowed to explore and exercise influence over the objects and events in their world, children develop feelings of ____ & _____.

• They are unsure of themselves and become dependent on others.

initiative

Children who seek out playmates and who learn how to organize games and other social activities develop a sense of _____

• They learn how to set goals and tackle challenges with conviction. They develop a sense of ambition and purpose

guilt

Children who fail to develop a sense of initiative come through this stage with feelings of ____ and resignation.

• They may lack a sense of purpose and show few signs of initiative in social or other situations.

industry

It is during this time, before the turmoil of puberty and the teenage years, that we develop either a sense of ___ and a belief in our strengths and abilities

inferiority

It is during this time, before the turmoil of puberty and the teenage years, a sense of _____ and a lack of appreciation for our talents and skills.

identity

Who am I?” If the question is answered successfully, they develop a sense of ____.

• They make decisions about personal values and religious questions.

• They understand who they are and accept and appreciate themselves.

role confusion

teens fail to develop this strong sense of identity and instead fall into_____.

intimacy

Young men and women search for that special relationship within which to develop ____ and grow emotionally.

• Although these relationships typically result in marriage or a romantic commitment to one person, this is not always the case. One can share i____ without marriage and, unfortunately, marriage without ____

emotional isolation

People who fail to develop intimacy during this stage face ____.

• They may pass through many superficial encounters without finding the satisfaction of closeness promised by genuine relationships. Indeed, they may avoid emotional commitment. The single-person’s lifestyle has its advantages and may be pleasant for a while, but failure to move beyond this lifestyle can seriously inhibit emotional growth and happiness.

Generativity

As men and women approach the middle years of life, they develop a concern for guiding the next generation.

• Parents find their lives enriched by the influence they have on their children.

• Adults without their own children find this enrichment by working with youth groups or playing an active role in raising nieces and nephews.

• We’ve all seen parents whose lives are filled with continued meaning and interests through raising their children.

stagnation

Adults who fail to develop this sense of generativity may suffer from a sense of _____ —a feeling of emptiness and questioning one’s purpose in life

• we’ve also seen parents who obtain little pleasure from this process. As a result, they become bored and generally dissatisfied with their lives.

• Failure to see the potential for personal growth in the development of their children is tragic for parent and child alike.

integrity

Men and women who look back on their lives with satisfaction will pass through this final developmental stage with a sense of ____.

• “It is the acceptance of one’s one and only life cycle … as something that had to be and that, by necessity, permitted of no substitution,

despair

People who fail to develop this sense of integrity fall into _____. They realize that time is now all too short, that the options and opportunities available to younger people are no longer there.

Karen Horney

explored cultural and social influences on personality development throughout her career. The prominent role she gave to these influences can be seen in two of her contributions to the psychoanalytic approach:

• her views on neurosis and what she called feminine psychology.

Freud’s explanation of neurosis

explains in terms of fixated energy and unconscious battles between various aspects of the personality.

Horney’s explanation of neurosis

pointed to disturbed interpersonal relationships during childhood.

• In particular, believed children too often grow up in homes that foster feelings of anxiety. The ways parents can generate these feelings are almost endless:

According to Horney, How do they deal with anxiety?

children growing up in anxiety-generating situations develop strategies for dealing with threatening people.

• On the positive side, these strategies usually succeed in alleviating anxiety in the short run.

• On the downside, these individuals may come to rely on these strategies even when dealing with people outside the family.

moving toward people

Some children deal with anxiety by emphasizing their helplessness.

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

• The sympathy they receive provides temporary relief from their anxiety, but the children run the risk of relying on this strategy in later relationships.

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

  • They often believe that if only they can find love, everything else will be all right.

  • They may indiscriminately attach themselves to whomever is available, believing that any relationship is better than loneliness and feeling unwanted

These people don’t love, they cling. They don’t share affection, they only demand it. Because of this neurotic style, each new relationship is almost certainly doomed.

moving against people

One way to handle anxiety is to cling to others, another is to fight.

• Some children find aggressiveness and hostility are the best way to deal with a poor home environment.

• They compensate for feelings of inadequacy and insecurity by pushing around other children.

• They are rewarded with a fleeting sense of power and respect from classmates, but no real friendships.

• This neurotic style takes on more sophisticated forms when these children become adults.

  • They may take advantage of business partners or lash out at others with hurtful comments.

  • In both child and adult, we find an ever-present need to exploit other people.

moving away from people

Some children adopt a third strategy to deal with their anxiety.

• Instead of interacting with others in a dependent or hostile manner, the child may simply tune out the world. → Who needs them?.

  • The desire for privacy and self-sufficiency can become intense.

  • As adults, these neurotics seek out jobs requiring little interaction with others. .

    • As a rule, they avoid affection, love, and friendship.

    • Because emotional attachment might lead to the kind of pain they remember from childhood, they develop a numbness to emotional experiences.

Affection cannot be returned because it is not even experienced. Thus, for both participants, the relationship will be shallow and unrewarding.

externalization

Horney argued that this neurotic style is characterized by ___, similar to Freud’s concept of projection.

• That is, these individuals learned during childhood that people are basically hostile and only interested in themselves.

• They respond to this perception by doing unto others before others can do unto them.

• They enter into relationships only when there is something to be gained.

Consequently, relationships with these people are necessarily shallow, unfulfilling, and ultimately painful.

penis envy

the desire every young girl has to be a boy.

womb envy

Horney (1967) countered this male-flattering position with the concept of _____ → men’s envy of women’s ability to bear and nurse children.

personal narratives

Assessment procedure that asks individuals to provide autobiographical descriptions of important events in their lives.

anxiety

has been defined in many ways, most researchers would probably agree that it is above all else an unpleasant emotional experience.

• When you experience anxiety, you have feelings of worry, panic, fear, and dread. It is probably the emotional experience you would have if you were suddenly arrested or if you discovered that a diary containing some of your deepest secrets had been passed around among friends.

reality anxiety

or objective anxiety, which is a response to a perceived threat in the real world.

• You probably experienced this type of anxiety if you were ever followed by a stranger or if you narrowly escaped a serious automobile accident.

• In cases of reality anxiety, you are aware of the source of your emotional reaction.

Neurotic anxiety

is experienced when unacceptable id impulses are dangerously close to breaking into consciousness.

• It’s the type of anxiety that leads the ego to use defense mechanisms.

Moral anxiety

is brought about by the superego in response to id impulses that violate the superego’s strict moral code.

• Generally is experienced as guilt.

defense mechanisms

unconscious processes

coping strategies

Conscious efforts to reduce anxiety in the face of a perceived threat.

• The number of strategies people use when faced with a threatening situation is almost endless

coping style

a person’s general approach to dealing with stress

repressors/repression strategy

At one end of this dimension are people who typically respond to threatening situations by avoiding them. These ____ try not to think about the situation and thereby succeed in avoiding the anxiety as much or as long as possible.

• We see this strategy at work when people advise us that “worrying will do no good” or to “think of something else to take your mind off it

sensitizers

At the other end of the dimension are the ___. These people typically deal with a stressful situation by finding out as much as possible, as soon as possible, and thereby put themselves in a position to take the most effective action.

problem-focused strategies

Coping strategies directed at taking care of the problem causing the anxiety.

emotion-focused strategies

Coping strategies designed to reduce emotional distress.

avoidance strategies

Coping strategies designed to distract us from thinking about the source of anxiety.

coping flexibility

ability to effectively utilize different coping strategies

resilience

Another approach to understanding how people cope with stressful events focuses