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Psychoanalytic Social Theory – Karen Horney
Psychoanalytic Social Theory is built on the assumption that social and cultural
conditions, especially childhood experiences, are largely responsible for shaping
personality
...
Horney theorized that people combat basic anxiety by adopting
one of three fundamental styles of relating to others
...

Neurotic’s compulsive behavior generates a basic intrapsychic conflict that
may take the form of either and idealized self image or self hatred
...

Horney also had ideas about feminine psychology and the application of
psychotherapy
...

Trained in Europe with classical Freudian psychoanalysts
Objected to Freud’s view on women, instead, believing that culture, not
anatomy was responsible for the psychic differences between men and
women
Helped found the Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute
Close relationship with Eric Fromm which ended badly
Horney & Freud
She believed that strict adherence to psychoanalysis would lead to
stagnation in theory and practice
Objected to Freud’s beliefs about women’s psyche
Psychoanalysis should move beyond instinct theory and emphasize the
importance of cultural influences in shaping personality
Cannot overemphasize the importance of culture

Culture
Emphasizes competition among individuals
The basic hostility that emerges from competition results in feelings of
isolation
These feelings of being alone in a potentially hostile world lead to
intensified needs for affection, which cause people to overvalue love
As a result, many people see love and affection as the solution for their
problems
Genuine love can be a healthy, growth producing experience but the
desperate need for love provides a fertile ground for the development of
neuroses
Western culture contributes to this vicious cycle by:
cultural teachings of kinship and humility that are contrary to the attitudes,
namely aggression and the drive to win!
Societies demand for success and achievement are nearly endless so that
normal people have new, additional goals placed before them all the time
Furthermore, western society tells people that they are free and can
accomplish anything with hard work and effort without regard to genetics,
social position, and the competitiveness of others

These contradictions all stem from cultural not biological influences
Childhood is where the vast majority of life and neurotic problems stem
from
Even more debilitating personal problems all have their roots traced to the
lack of genuine warmth and affection
From childhood experiences she determined that people who rigidly repeat
patterns of behavior do so because they interpret new experiences in a
manner consistent with those previously established patterns
In order for children to develop normally they need to experience both genuine love
and discipline
...

If these needs are not met the child develops basic hostility towards the
parents
...


Horney identified ten neurotic needs that characterize neurotics in their attempts to
combat anxiety
...
neurotic need for affection and approval
2
...
neurotic need to restrict one’s life within narrow boundaries
4
...
neurotic need to exploit others
6
...
neurotic need for personal admiration
8
...
neurotic need for self-sufficiency
10
...
moving toward people (needs 1 & 2)
2
...
moving away from people (needs 8, 9, & 10)

The Interaction of Basic Hostility & Basic Anxiety
With the Defenses against Anxiety

Basic Hostility
(Results from childhood feelings of rejection or neglect
By patents or from a defense against basic anxiety

Basic Anxiety
Results from parental threats or from a defense
Against hostility

Defenses against Anxiety
Normal Defenses
Spontaneous Movement

Neurotic Defenses
Compulsive Movement

Toward People
(friendly, loving personality)

Toward People
(compliant personality)

Against People
(a survivor in a competitive society)

Against People
(aggressive personality)

Away from People
(autonomous, serene personality)

Away from People
(detached personality)

What is normal vs
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affection &
Approval

4
...
powerful
partner

5
...
self-sufficient
and
Independence
10
...
narrow limits to
life

6
...
personal admiration
8
...

The three neurotic trends tend to be cast in favorable terms like love,
mastery, and freedom
...

Patients must understand the differences between their idealized self-image
and their real self
...


Critique
There is generally a lack of research on how this applies to normal
personalities
...

Her theory fall short on its ability to generate research and to submit its
terms to falsifiability (few testable hypotheses)(1)
...

Her guide to action of practitioners is better but there are few details on
exactly what to do with patients (2)
Her theory has low internal consistency and uses terms and concepts in
different ways (2)
While her writing is very clear her use of simple terms in her work gives
her a high mark (4)
Her theory of humanity is deterministic while the individual, to some
extent, has free choice (F>D)
Her theory is both optimistic and pessimistic with a tendency toward the
curative powers of human (O>P)
Her theory is both causal and teleological (C=T)
She believed in the strength and influence of the conscious, social
motivation over the unconscious (C>UC)
Her emphasis on the social nature of humans as well as cultural influences
places her theory as more social than biological (S>B)
Finally, she places emphasis on the similarities between people rather than
on their uniqueness (S>U)

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