Karen Horney's Life and Psychoanalytic Contributions

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Questions and Answers

What motivates perfectionistic individuals to maintain their high standards?

A desire for external validation from peers

A conviction that the world should align with their expectations (correct)

An aim to surpass their childhood experiences with parental criticism

The belief that achieving perfection is possible

According to Horney, what childhood experience contributes significantly to the development of perfectionism?

Excessive parental affection

Neglect from caregivers

Authoritarian parenting leading to feelings of worthlessness (correct)

Inconsistent discipline practices

How do arrogant-vindictive individuals typically respond to the happiness of others?

They celebrate it as an affirmation of their own happiness

They feel admiration and strive for similar happiness

They envy it and seek to retaliate against those who possess it (correct)

They express indifference, viewing it as unimportant

What psychological outcome often results from the perfectionistic tendencies described by Horney?

Self-hatred due to unmet expectations Signup and view all the answers

What behavior characterizes the arrogant-vindictive personality as defined by Horney?

Retaliating against perceived threats to their ego Signup and view all the answers

What year did Karen Horney obtain her medical degree from the University of Berlin?

1911 Signup and view all the answers

Which influential psychoanalyst did Karen Horney study under in Berlin?

Karl Abraham Signup and view all the answers

What belief set Karen Horney apart from classical Freudian theory?

The impact of environmental and social contexts on personality Signup and view all the answers

In what way did Karen Horney contribute to the understanding of female psychology?

By criticizing the male-dominated perspectives of psychology Signup and view all the answers

What major work did Karen Horney not write?

The Psychology of Women Signup and view all the answers

Which psychological approach did Maslow credit Karen Horney with influencing?

Humanistic Psychology Signup and view all the answers

What specific aspect of psychoanalytic theory did Horney particularly critique?

The emphasis on male-derived psychological frameworks Signup and view all the answers

What was a consequence of Horney's controversial views on psychoanalysis?

She was barred from the New York Psychoanalytic Institute Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary cause of basic anxiety according to Horney?

Family conditions Signup and view all the answers

How does Horney's concept of 'womb envy' differ from traditional Freudian views on women?

It acknowledges men's feelings of envy towards women's reproductive capabilities. Signup and view all the answers

In which of the following areas did Horney NOT influence according to the content?

Physics of the mind Signup and view all the answers

What is the 'real self' according to Horney?

A self that has developed healthily toward self-realization. Signup and view all the answers

Which neurotic trend is characterized by a desire for freedom and independence?

Moving away from people Signup and view all the answers

What did Horney believe contributes primarily to the development of neurosis?

Cultural conditioning Signup and view all the answers

How does Horney's view of narcissism differ from Freud's perspective?

Horney attributes narcissism to environmental factors. Signup and view all the answers

What does Horney identify as the main driving forces behind neurosis?

Affection and power Signup and view all the answers

What did Horney propose regarding girls' awareness of their bodies?

They are aware of their genitalia before puberty. Signup and view all the answers

What does the 'search for glory' refer to in Horney's theories?

The desire to fulfill an idealized self. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements about Horney's impact on psychoanalysis is true?

She caused significant controversy with her views on women. Signup and view all the answers

What is one of the characteristics of people who move toward others?

They suppress aggressive tendencies. Signup and view all the answers

According to Horney, what aspect of the actual self is highlighted?

One's strengths, weaknesses, failures, and achievements. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Early Life & Career

Karen Horney was born in Germany in 1885.
She earned a medical degree from the University of Berlin in 1911.
Horney became interested in psychoanalysis and studied under Karl Abraham, a follower of Sigmund Freud.
She worked as a psychiatrist in Berlin hospitals.
In 1932, she moved to the United States and became assistant director of the Institute for Psychoanalysis.
She established a private practice in New York City and taught at the New School for Social Research.
There, she wrote two major works: The Neurotic Personality of Our Time and New Ways in Psychoanalysis.

Critique of Freud

Horney disagreed with many aspects of Freudian psychoanalysis, believing that environmental and social factors were more important than inborn drives.
She challenged Freud's ideas about female psychology, rejecting the notion that women's mental issues were due to a male-dominated world.
Horney’s views were controversial and led to her expulsion from the New York Psychoanalytic Institute in 1941.

Contributions to Psychology

Horney's work influenced various branches of psychology, including humanistic psychology, interpersonal psychology, and cultural psychology.
Her ideas about "basic anxiety" influenced Erik Erikson's development of the "basic mistrust" stage of psychosocial development.
Her theories on neurosis contributed to the diagnosis of neurotic disorders in psychiatry.

Feminine Psychology

Horney challenged Freud's view of women, arguing that psychoanalysis was biased towards a male perspective.
She disputed the concept of "penis envy," suggesting that it stemmed from a girl's disappointment in her father and led to a "flight from womanhood."
Horney proposed the idea of "womb envy," suggesting that men envy women's biological capacity to create life.

Theories of Neurotic Needs

Horney believed that culture and social factors, rather than instinctual drives, were the main causes of neurotic behavior.
She proposed that "basic anxiety," stemming from childhood experiences of feeling unwanted or insecure, creates a need for love and acceptance.
Horney identified four neurotic trends: affection, submissiveness, power, or withdrawal.
She believed that the need for affection and the need for power were the two main drivers of neurosis.

The Real Self and the Idealized Self

Horney introduced the concept of the "real self," a healthy and authentic self that develops through self-realization.
She believed that neurotic individuals pursue an "idealized self," an impossible and unattainable ideal.
This pursuit leads to self-loathing and a sense of a "despised self."

Neurotic Personalities and Their Strategies

Horney identified three categories of neurotic personalities based on how they cope with the idealized self:
- Moving toward others: These individuals develop compliant personalities, seeking love and acceptance by conforming to others' expectations.
- Moving away from others: They become detached personalities, seeking freedom and independence from others.
- Moving against others: This group develops aggressive personalities, exhibiting narcissism, perfectionism, or arrogance.
These strategies, according to Horney, prevent individuals from achieving their true potential and fostering a healthy sense of self.

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Description

Explore the life and significant contributions of Karen Horney, a notable figure in psychoanalysis. This quiz covers her early life, education, and her critiques of Freudian theories, emphasizing her belief in the impact of social factors on psychology. Test your knowledge on Horney's works and her lasting influence in the field.