Psych 213
Chapter 6- Horney and Fromm
I. Introduction
A. At the end of the 19th C. There was a shift in the emphasis of psychological
thinking
B. Human beings were no longer regarded purely as individuals but also as social
beings
C. The approaches of Horney and Fromm do not meet the requirements of
personality theories and should be seen as general philosophical systems rather
than personality theories
II. Karen Horney
A. Background
1. Born in Hamburg
2. Studied medicine at the University of Freiburg and Berlin
3. She underwent analysis and did a course in psychoanalysis at the Berlin
Institute of Psychoanalysis from 1918-1932
4. Emigrated to America to co-direct the Chicago Institute of Psychoanalysis
5. She then moved to NY and worked at the New York Institute of Psychoanalysis
6. She is the founder of the American Institute of Psychoanalysis and the Society
for the Advancement of Psychoanalysis
7. Believed that human behaviour is shaped more by the culture in which a
person lives than by the biology or sexuality
8. Each culture generates its own fears within its members
B. The view of the person underlying the theory
1. Views regarding personality and psychotherapy are based on the supposition
that people have an inherent drive and capacity to grow and realise their
potential to the fullest
2. Believes that people’s inherent nature is constructive
a) Maintains that this belief does not imply that people are essentially good,
presupposing a given knowledge about good or bad, but that people by
their own accord would strive toward self realisation
3. Can be inhibited by unhealthy relationships with the self or others
4. Absence may lead to sickness and even death
5. Proceeds from an optimistic view of humanity which is based on the
assumption that the personality inherently tends towards constructive
development and growth
, 6. Individuals can consciously change and shape their personalities and they are
not simply helpless victims of past experiences
7. Current experience is equally important
8. So convinced of the growth potential of individuals that she puts considerable
emphasis in therapy on self-analysis and people’s ability to deal with their own
problems
9. Self-knowledge is a responsibility as well as a privilege
10. Rejects Freudian deterministic notion that human behaviour is determined by
instinct and hence not subject to personal control
11. Leads her to conclude that the di erence between normal and neurotic people
is only one of degree
12. Neurotic people simply need to be set free from limitations that block their
inherent growth potential
C. Structure of the personality
1. Does not elaborate in any detail on the structure and development of the
personality because it is more important to understand the psychodynamics of
the personality
2. Result is where she doesn’t pay attention to structural elements or principles of
development, it is always as part of her view regarding the dynamics of
personality
3. Did not reject Freud’s work as a whole and accepts the important role of the
unconscious and processes such as repression
a) Does not see these as the most important aspects of human functioning
4. Does make a distinction between idealised self and actual self and real self
a) Idealised self
(1) Product of a feeling of inferiority, which is especially common in a
society that places a high value on prestige and competition
(a) This causes anxiety and in an attempt to deal with it and compensate
for these feelings, the person unconsciously creates an ideal self
which is omnipotent and has unlimited potential
b) Actual self
(1) Represents people as they consciously act in daily life
(2) Often rejected because it does not meet the demands of the ideal self
c) Real self
(1) Fundamental to both the ideal and actual self
(2) Emerges only once the person has relinquished all the techniques
developed for dealing with anxiety and resolving con ict
(3) A force that urges the individual in the direction of growth and self-
ful lment
fi ff fl
, (4) Is the alive, unique, personal centre of ourselves
D. Dynamics of the personality
1. Geared towards constructive growth and development, thanks to an inherent
growth principle (replaces Freuds id)
2. All energy is naturally channelled in such a way as to ensure that the individual
will develop his or her unique potential to the full
a) Unless it becomes blocked as a result of some “anti-natural” in uence
(1) In other words, the development of an individual can be facilitated or
hampered by their interaction with the environment
(2) Cultural factors and a child’s relationship with their parents play the most
important roles
3. She distinguishes two crucial needs that underlie all psychological and
physiological needs and are fundamental to the unfolding of the personality
a) Need for security
(1) Need to be free from anxiety and threat
b) The need for satisfaction
(a) Basic physiological needs such as the need for food, water, sex and
sleep
4. In the beginning, the child is entirely dependent on his or her environment and
parents for the satisfaction go physical and psychological needs
a) This dependence may lead to neurosis or feelings of inferiority that must
later be compensated for in adult life but which, if correctly handled, may
promote growth
5. Two things can happen when ful lling a child’s needs
a) Parents will act with real love and warmth in relation to the child and will
create an atmosphere in which needs can be satis ed and growth can take
place
(1) Is characterised by a genuine interest in the child, an attitude of respect,
warmth, reliability and sincerity in the parents’ dealing with the child
b) Parents’ irresponsibility, together with neuroticising of cultural in uences
(1) This may prevent the ful lment of needs and may lead to basic hostility
and basic anxiety as the forerunners of neurosis
6. Maintains that a child who is prevented from ful lling their basic needs is due to
disturbed parent-child relationships or negative factors in the environment
a) Which will react with basic hostility and basic anxiety
(1) These are two core concepts in her theory in explaining a person’s
behaviour
(a) Basic hostility
fi fi fi fi flfl
Chapter 6- Horney and Fromm
I. Introduction
A. At the end of the 19th C. There was a shift in the emphasis of psychological
thinking
B. Human beings were no longer regarded purely as individuals but also as social
beings
C. The approaches of Horney and Fromm do not meet the requirements of
personality theories and should be seen as general philosophical systems rather
than personality theories
II. Karen Horney
A. Background
1. Born in Hamburg
2. Studied medicine at the University of Freiburg and Berlin
3. She underwent analysis and did a course in psychoanalysis at the Berlin
Institute of Psychoanalysis from 1918-1932
4. Emigrated to America to co-direct the Chicago Institute of Psychoanalysis
5. She then moved to NY and worked at the New York Institute of Psychoanalysis
6. She is the founder of the American Institute of Psychoanalysis and the Society
for the Advancement of Psychoanalysis
7. Believed that human behaviour is shaped more by the culture in which a
person lives than by the biology or sexuality
8. Each culture generates its own fears within its members
B. The view of the person underlying the theory
1. Views regarding personality and psychotherapy are based on the supposition
that people have an inherent drive and capacity to grow and realise their
potential to the fullest
2. Believes that people’s inherent nature is constructive
a) Maintains that this belief does not imply that people are essentially good,
presupposing a given knowledge about good or bad, but that people by
their own accord would strive toward self realisation
3. Can be inhibited by unhealthy relationships with the self or others
4. Absence may lead to sickness and even death
5. Proceeds from an optimistic view of humanity which is based on the
assumption that the personality inherently tends towards constructive
development and growth
, 6. Individuals can consciously change and shape their personalities and they are
not simply helpless victims of past experiences
7. Current experience is equally important
8. So convinced of the growth potential of individuals that she puts considerable
emphasis in therapy on self-analysis and people’s ability to deal with their own
problems
9. Self-knowledge is a responsibility as well as a privilege
10. Rejects Freudian deterministic notion that human behaviour is determined by
instinct and hence not subject to personal control
11. Leads her to conclude that the di erence between normal and neurotic people
is only one of degree
12. Neurotic people simply need to be set free from limitations that block their
inherent growth potential
C. Structure of the personality
1. Does not elaborate in any detail on the structure and development of the
personality because it is more important to understand the psychodynamics of
the personality
2. Result is where she doesn’t pay attention to structural elements or principles of
development, it is always as part of her view regarding the dynamics of
personality
3. Did not reject Freud’s work as a whole and accepts the important role of the
unconscious and processes such as repression
a) Does not see these as the most important aspects of human functioning
4. Does make a distinction between idealised self and actual self and real self
a) Idealised self
(1) Product of a feeling of inferiority, which is especially common in a
society that places a high value on prestige and competition
(a) This causes anxiety and in an attempt to deal with it and compensate
for these feelings, the person unconsciously creates an ideal self
which is omnipotent and has unlimited potential
b) Actual self
(1) Represents people as they consciously act in daily life
(2) Often rejected because it does not meet the demands of the ideal self
c) Real self
(1) Fundamental to both the ideal and actual self
(2) Emerges only once the person has relinquished all the techniques
developed for dealing with anxiety and resolving con ict
(3) A force that urges the individual in the direction of growth and self-
ful lment
fi ff fl
, (4) Is the alive, unique, personal centre of ourselves
D. Dynamics of the personality
1. Geared towards constructive growth and development, thanks to an inherent
growth principle (replaces Freuds id)
2. All energy is naturally channelled in such a way as to ensure that the individual
will develop his or her unique potential to the full
a) Unless it becomes blocked as a result of some “anti-natural” in uence
(1) In other words, the development of an individual can be facilitated or
hampered by their interaction with the environment
(2) Cultural factors and a child’s relationship with their parents play the most
important roles
3. She distinguishes two crucial needs that underlie all psychological and
physiological needs and are fundamental to the unfolding of the personality
a) Need for security
(1) Need to be free from anxiety and threat
b) The need for satisfaction
(a) Basic physiological needs such as the need for food, water, sex and
sleep
4. In the beginning, the child is entirely dependent on his or her environment and
parents for the satisfaction go physical and psychological needs
a) This dependence may lead to neurosis or feelings of inferiority that must
later be compensated for in adult life but which, if correctly handled, may
promote growth
5. Two things can happen when ful lling a child’s needs
a) Parents will act with real love and warmth in relation to the child and will
create an atmosphere in which needs can be satis ed and growth can take
place
(1) Is characterised by a genuine interest in the child, an attitude of respect,
warmth, reliability and sincerity in the parents’ dealing with the child
b) Parents’ irresponsibility, together with neuroticising of cultural in uences
(1) This may prevent the ful lment of needs and may lead to basic hostility
and basic anxiety as the forerunners of neurosis
6. Maintains that a child who is prevented from ful lling their basic needs is due to
disturbed parent-child relationships or negative factors in the environment
a) Which will react with basic hostility and basic anxiety
(1) These are two core concepts in her theory in explaining a person’s
behaviour
(a) Basic hostility
fi fi fi fi flfl
