Chapter 4: Neo-Analytic Theory

Carl Jung – Analytic Psychology 

• Swiss physician.

• First-generation student of Freud.

• Active early 1900s.

• Initially Freud’s protégé and intellectual heir apparent.

• By 1913, they parted over theoretical disagreements.

  • Freud did not accept many of Jung’s emerging ideas.

Personality consists of three components:

• Ego: Conscious aspect of personality. Embodies one’s sense of “Self.” Core of the personality.

• Personal Unconscious:

Not presently within conscious awareness.

Thoughts & urges that are unimportant at the time.

Thoughts repressed due to their ego-threatening nature.

• Collective Unconscious:

Deeper level of the unconscious.

Comprised of archetypes.

Archetypes: 

• Powerful emotional symbols, common to all people, present throughout the ages.

• Transpersonal (not unique to the individual).

• Derived from emotional reactions of ancestors to recurrent & culturally meaningful events.

• Represent cultural themes that impact the personality of the individual.

• Important archetypes:

Animus: masculine aspect of a woman.

Anima: feminine aspect of a man.

Persona: Socially acceptable front presented to others.

Shadow: Dark, unacceptable side of the Self; shameful desires & motives often hidden from the world.

Mother: Generativity & fertility. Can be represented by a person or an institution.

Hero: Strong, good force that fights enemies and rescues others from harm.

Demon: Cruelty and evil.

Four functions of the mind:

Sensing: “Is something there?” (e.g., perception)

Thinking: “What is it?” (e.g., identification and classification).

Feeling: “What is it worth?” (e.g., valuation).

Intuiting: “Where did it come from … where is it going?” (ex. understanding & predicting).

Extroversion vs. Introversion:

Originated w/ Jung, but different from our understanding of those concepts today.

Extroversion: directing psychological energy toward things in the external world.

Introversion: directing psychological energy toward things internal to the Self.

Alfred Adler – Individual Psychology 

First-generation student of Freud.

Active early 1900s.

Emphasized motivations other than pleasure, sexuality, and aggression.

Each person’s perceived niche in society.

Eventually parted w/ Freud over theoretical disagreements.

Striving for superiority:

• Person experiences overwhelming circumstances.

• Develops feelings of powerlessness – inferiority complex.

• Person struggles to maintain a sense of self-worth.

• Compensates by developing a pattern of arrogance – superiority complex.

Aggression drive:

• Aggression results from efforts to overcome perceived helplessness & inferiority.

• Lashing out against the inability to master something.

Karen Horney 

German physician.

Active early to mid-1900s.

Agreed with Adler on the importance of:

Childhood discovery of one’s own helplessness.

Struggle to gain individuality and control.

Rejection of “penis envy.”

Horney agreed w/ Freud that women often feel inferior to men.

She disagreed that it was due to differences in genitalia.

More due to being raised in a society that overly-emphasized securing the love of a man.

Also due to cultural valuation of masculinity and devaluation of femininity.

“Basic anxiety”:

Child’s fear of being alone & insecure.

Develops from problems in relations w/ parents.

e.g., lack of warmth, stability, respect, or involvement.

Later impacts relations w/ others.

• Person adopts one of three styles of coping with “basic anxiety” and dealing w/ the world:

  • Passive style: being compliant.

  • Aggressive style: fighting.

  • Withdrawn style: not engaging emotionally.

• Three different aspects of the Self:

  • Real Self: inner core of the personality. How we perceive ourselves. Can be damaged by poor parental relations.

  • Despised Self: perceived inferiority & shortcomings, based on negative evaluation by others.

  • Ideal Self: the perfect self one hopes to achieve. Based on the “tyranny of the should.”

• Neurotic coping strategies:

  • Unhealthy  ways of dealing w/ others.

  • Maladaptive extensions of three basic coping styles.

“Moving toward” people: always attempting to make others happy, to gain love, and approval (passive style).

“Moving against” people: striving for power, recognition and admiration (aggressive style).

“Moving away” from people: withdrawal from emotional investment in relationships to avoid being hurt (withdrawn style).

Erik Erikson 

Active mid-1900s. Germany, then US.

Disagreed w/ Freud that identity (i.e., personality) is formed within first 5-6 years of life.

Personality develops throughout the lifespan.

Emphasized social rather than sexual motivations.

Eight stages of psychosocial development.

Each requires successful negotiation of a developmental task.

Trust vs. Mistrust (infancy): establishing trust and hope.

Autonomy vs. Shame & Doubt (early childhood): control over own body; ability to do for oneself.

Initiative vs. Guilt (early to mid-childhood): plan & execute actions; getting along w/ peers.

Industry vs. Inferiority (mid- to late childhood): solving problems; taking pride in one’s own accomplishments.

Identity vs. Role Confusion (adolescence): forming a clear sense of self that is one’s own.

Intimacy vs. Isolation (early adulthood): develop companionship w/ others and a love relationship.

Generativity vs. Stagnation (mid-adulthood): being productive; giving of oneself to others (family, community, institution).

Ego Integrity vs. Despair (late adulthood): derivation of wisdom & integrity; view one’s life as meaningful and worthwhile.

Criticism of Neo-Analytic Theory