Questions With Correct Answers
Discuss Horney's concepts of basic hostility and basic anxiety. - Answers-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 - Answers-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 - Answers-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 - Answers-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? - Answers-(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? - Answers-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. - Answers-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. - Answers-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 - Answers-solve conflicts by creating an idealized image of self
.Neurotic search for glory - Answers-the need for perfection, neurotic ambition, drive
toward vindictive triumph
.Tyranny of the should - Answers-trying to achieve perfection by erecting a complex set
of "shoulds" and "should nots"
.Neurotic claims - Answers-build a fantasty world and claim they are special/entitled to
be treated well
.Neurotic pride - Answers-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. - Answers-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. - Answers-Horney believed that
psychological differences between men and women are not due to anatomy but to
culture and social expectations. Her view of the Oedipus complex differed markedly