CORRECT ANSWERS) MUST PASS
Discuss Horney's concepts of basic hostility and basic anxiety. - Hostility is created when parents
don't satisfy children's needs for safety and satisfaction, anxiety is created when they have hostility
but repress it so they don't feel bad.
All children need feelings of safety and security, but these can be gained only by love from parents.
Unfortunately, parents often neglect, dominate, reject, or overindulge their children, conditions that
lead to the child's feelings of basic hostility toward parents. If children repress feelings of basic
hostility, they will develop feelings of insecurity and a pervasive sense of apprehension called basic
anxiety.
Karen Horney's Biography - Karen Horney, who was born in Eilbek (Hamburg, Germany) in September
15th, 1885. She was the only daughter of Berndt Danielson and Clothida van Ronzelem Danielsen (18
years younger than dad). She had one older brother (4 years older) and four half brothers from dad's
previous marriage. She was hostile towards dad for being religious hypocrite, but loved mom. She
was one of the first women in that country admitted to medical school. There, she became
acquainted with Freudian theory and eventually became a psychoanalyst and a psychiatrist. In her
mid-40s, Horney left Germany to settle in the United States, first in Chicago and then in New York.
She soon abandoned orthodox psychoanalysis in favor of a more socially oriented theory-one that
had a more positive view of feminine development. She died in 1952 at age 67.
Basic Anxiety - It is created when children have hostility but repress it so they don't feel badly - a
feeling of being small, insignificant, helpless, deserted. If children repress feelings of basic hostility,
they will develop feelings of insecurity and a pervasive sense of apprehension called basic anxiety.
Basic Hostility - It is created when parents do not satisfy children's needs for safety and satisfaction
People can protect themselves from basic anxiety through a number of protective devices. What
defense strategies does basic anxiety deal with? - (1) affection, (2) submissiveness, (3) power,
prestige, or possession, and (4) withdrawal. Normal people have the flexibility to use any or all of
these approaches, but neurotics are compelled to rely rigidly on only one.
What was Horney's theory overview? - Horney's work was very relational - how we relate to others
influences our personality development (and further relations). Society is relatively evil in her theory
- it demands success and achievement that are impossible to achieve, making us feel unworthy.
Difficulties in childhood are responsible for neurotic (anxious) behaviors. Her theory assumes that
social and cultural conditions, especially during childhood, have a powerful effect on later
personality.
, List and discuss Horney's categories of neurotic needs. - Horney identified 10 categories of neurotic
needs that mark neurotics in their attempt to reduce basic anxiety. These include needs (1) for
affection and approval, (2) for a powerful partner (3) to restrict one's life within narrow borders, (4)
for power, (5) to exploit others, (6) for social recognition or prestige, (7) for personal admiration, (8)
for ambition and personal achievement, (9) for self-sufficiency and independence, and (10) for
perfection and unassailability.
Neurotic needs stem from childhood experiences and may become part of the personality.
Investigate the neurotic needs and see which, if any, dominate your personality
Describe Horney's three neurotic trends. - The three neurotic tends are (1) moving toward people, in
which compliant people protect themselves against feelings of helplessness by attaching themselves
to other people (helplessness); (2) moving against people, in which aggressive people protect
themselves against perceived hostility of others by exploiting others (hostile); and (3) moving away
from people, in which detached people protect themselves against feelings of isolation by appearing
arrogant and aloof (isolation).
Idealized self-image - solve conflicts by creating an idealized image of self
Neurotic search for glory - the need for perfection, neurotic ambition, drive toward vindictive
triumph
Tyranny of the should - trying to achieve perfection by erecting a complex set of "shoulds" and
"should nots"
Neurotic claims - build a fantasty world and claim they are special/entitled to be treated well
Neurotic pride - false pride, not based on reality (based on idealized self-image); loudly proclaimed in
order to protect personal image
Discuss the modes of expression of self hatred. - Neurotics dislike themselves because reality always
falls short of their idealized view of self. Therefore, they learn self-hatred, which can be expressed as:
(1) relentless demands on the self, (2) merciless self-accusation, (3) self-contempt, (4) self-
frustration, (5) self-torment or self-torture, and (6) self-destructive actions
and impulses.
Discuss Horney's concepts of feminine psychology. - Horney believed that psychological differences
between men and women are not due to anatomy but to culture and social expectations. Her view of