HORNEY: PSYCHOANALYTIC SOCIAL THEORY
1. Discuss Karen Horney’s criticism of Sigmund Freud.
Answer:
Horney believed that Freud’s psychoanalysis was too rigid and that strict adherence to it would
lead to stagnation in both theory and practice.
Horney’s strongest differences with Freud were on the issue of feminine psychology. To Horney,
psychic differences between women and men are not due to anatomy or instincts but due to
cultural and social expectations.
Horney recognized the possibility of an Oedipus complex, but she insisted that it is not universal
and not due to biology. According to her, the Oedipus complex results from environmental
conditions and is found only in those people who have a neurotic need for love.
Horney objected to the notion of penis envy, but she recognized that many women have a
masculine protest, or a pathological belief that men are superior to women.
Horney believed that people are not ruled by the pleasure principle but by the needs for safety
and satisfaction.
2. Discuss Karen Horney’s concepts of neurotic needs and neurotic trends.
Answer:
Horney originally identified 10 categories of neurotic needs that underlie the attempts of
neurotics to combat basic anxiety. One person may use several neurotic needs in an attempt to
deal with other people.
The 10 neurotic needs are (1) the need for affection and approval, (2) the need for a powerful
partner, (3) the need to restrict one’s life within narrow borders, (4) the need for power, (5) the
need to exploit others, (6) the need for social recognition or prestige, (7) the need for personal
admiration, (8) the need for ambition and personal achievement, (9) the need for self-sufficiency
and independence, and (10) the need for perfection and unassailability.
Later, Horney grouped these 10 neurotic needs into three basic attitudes, or neurotic trends. The
three neurotic trends are (1) moving toward people, which includes neurotic needs 1, 2, and 3;
(2) moving against people, which includes neurotic needs 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8; and (3) moving away
from people, which includes neurotic needs 9 and 10.
Each of the three neurotic trends has a normal analog. Moving toward people translates as a
friendly, loving attitude in normal people; moving against people has a normal analog of
survivability in a competitive society; and the normal analog for moving away from people is an
autonomous and serene attitude.
3. Comment on Karen Horney’s unique contribution to feminine psychology within the
promasculine psychoanalytic view. Be sure to address the main tenets of Sigmund Freud that
Horney rejected.
Answer:
Horney asserted that the psychic differences between men and women were not the result of
anatomy or biological differences but rather of cultural and social forces. An example includes
male domination over women due to neurotic competitiveness. Thus, basic anxiety underlies a
man’s need to subjugate women and a woman’s wish to humiliate men.
Specific Freudian concepts that Horney challenged, and ultimately rejected, include the Oedipus
complex and penis envy. She concluded that anatomy was not destiny and that a child’s
insecurities should not be attributed to sexual or anatomical causes. Instead, a child may have a
neurotic need for love and affection, which may be expressed through clingy behavior or
excessive jealousy. Ultimately, a child’s main goal is security and the privileges typically afforded
by males in most cultures.
In 1994, Bernard J. Paris published a paper on a lecture Horney delivered in 1935. Essentially
summarizing her views on feminine psychology, she argued that culture and society are
responsible for psychological differences between the genders and that a general psychology of
both men and women was more valuable than a detailed analysis of the aspects that separate
men and women. She captured this well in the following: “Paradoxical as it may sound, we shall
find out about these differences only if we forget about them.”
4. According to Karen Horney, an important difference between the neurotic trends of normal
individuals and those of neurotic people is that
A. neurotics are usually conscious of their strategies.
B. neurotics are compelled to follow a single rigid strategy.
C. neurotics experience little conflict caused by their strategies.
D. neurotics enjoy their misery.
5. In Karen Horney's view, _____ is largely responsible for the development of basic anxiety and
subsequent
unhealthy
interpersonal
relations.
A.
cultural
condition
B.
the
existential
dilemma
C.
the
idealized
self-image
D. neurotic pride
6. Karen Horney believed that children develop _____ as a reaction to unfilled needs for love and
affection.
A. basic hostility toward their parents
B. codependence with their parents
C. independence from their parents
D. an Oedipus complex
7.
Karen
Horney's
theory
A.
psychoses
B.
neuroses
C.
normality
D.
E. women rather than about men.
is
built
mainly
and
and
and
self-actualizing
on
her
psychotic
neurotic
normal
writings
about
people.
people.
people.
people.
8. Karen Horney, like _____, was the youngest child of a middle-aged father, had older siblings
who were favored by her parents, and felt unwanted and unloved.
A. Sigmund Freud
B. Carl Jung
C. Melanie Klein
D. Eric Fromm
9. Karen Horney came to psychoanalysis from
A. art.
B. music.
C. medicine.
D. sociology.
10. Karen Horney criticized Freudian theory on several accounts. Which of these was one of her
major criticisms?
A. She criticized his ideas on feminine psychology
B. She criticized the lack of emphasis on biological factors.
C. She criticized the lack of emphasis on ego functioning.
D. She criticized the flexibility of his ideas in theory and practice.
11. Karen Horney believed that people are governed by which guiding principles?
A. sex and aggression
B. avoidance and attraction
C. safety and satisfaction
D. superiority and inferiority
E. love and hate
12.
Karen
Horney
A.
B.
C.
D.
lack
E. honesty of interpretation.
was
most
research
critical
of
of
scientific
Sigmund
Freud's
methods.
observations.
interpretations.
data.
13. Feelings of isolation, Karen Horney said, stem from
A. the anatomical differences between the two genders.
B. early childhood rejection by parents.
C. peer rejection in adolescence.
D. a lack of courage or assertiveness.
E. an overly competitive society.
14. Karen Horney contended that needs for affection result in
A. an undervaluation of love.
B. an overvaluation of love.
C. isolation.
D. self-esteem problems.
15. Karen Horney contended that modern culture is based on _____ between individuals.
A. cooperation
B. dependence
C. competition
D. estrangement
16. According to Karen Horney, how does the Western society hinder people's attempts to find
love?
A.
It
rewards
competitiveness.
B.
It
rewards
failure.
C.
It
limits
free
choice.
D. All of the answers are correct.
17. Karen Horney believed that the cultural contradictions
A.
lead
to
intrapsychic
B.
result
in
achievement
and
C.
are
a
result
of
the
anatomical
differences
between
D. can never be successfully resolved.
of
society
conflict.
success.
the
sexes.
18. Neurotics strive in pathological ways to find love rather than benefiting from the need for it.
Their attempts often result in
A. an increased need for affection.
B. high self-esteem.
C. decreased competitiveness.
D. decreased hostility.
19. For Karen Horney, adult attitudes toward others are
A. a result of an unresolved Oedipus complex.
B. repetitions of infantile attitudes.
C. directly tied to instinctual needs.
D. a product of individual character structure.
20.
According
A.
B.
C.
D. genetic factors.
to
Karen
an
Horney,
most
unhappy
neuroses
stem
from
childhood.
adolescence.
marriage.
21. In the context of basic hostility and basic anxiety, which of the following was a belief Karen
Horney held about people?
A. They are innately healthy.
B. They are innately neurotic.
C. They are born with the potential for psychological health, but this potential must be developed
in a warm and loving atmosphere.
D. They are born with the potential for psychological health, but this potential must be developed
in an atmosphere of competition.
22. "A feeling of being isolated and helpless in a potentially hostile world" is Karen Horney's
definition
of
A.
basic
dread.
B.
C.
D.
E. innate inferiority.
basic
basic
basic
threat.
fear.
anxiety.
23. Neuroses, Karen Horney said, grow out of the "nutritive soil" of
A.
an
experience
or
perception
of
failure.
B.
constant,
unrelenting
basic
anxiety.
C.
exaggerated
feelings
of
superiority.
D.
an
unresolved
Oedipus
complex.
E. an agrarian culture.
24. According to Karen Horney, people who try to purchase love with self-effacing compliance,
material goods, or sexual favors use _____ as a strategy to protect themselves against the feeling
of being alone in a potentially hostile world.
A. withdrawal
B. affection
C. power
D. prestige
25. Karen Horney asserted that the primary adverse influence inhibiting a child's potential for
healthy
development
is
A.
the
failure
of
the
parent(s)
to
love
the
child.
B.
rivalry
and
competitiveness
among
children.
C.
the
unconscious
instinctual
urges
of
the
child.
D. the lack of proper socialization of the child.
26. Karen Horney saw the tendency to humiliate others in order to protect oneself against
humiliation as
A. power.
B. prestige.
C. possession.
D. dominance.
27. In the context of Karen Horney's list of defenses against basic anxiety, people use _____ as a
defense
against
the
real
or
imagined
hostility
of
others.
A.
withdrawal
B.
submissiveness
C.
D. affection
power
28. In the context of Karen Horney's list of defenses against basic anxiety, _____ acts as a buffer
against destitution and poverty and manifests itself as a tendency to deprive others.
A.
affection
B.
prestige
C.
withdrawal
D. possession
29. According to Karen Horney, which of the following defenses used by neurotics against basic
anxiety involves developing an independence from others or becoming emotionally detached
from them?
A. withdrawal
B. prestige
C. submissiveness
D. power
30. According to Karen Horney, neurotics cannot change their behavior by free will but must
continually and compulsively protect themselves against basic anxiety. This strategy leads to
behaviors that perpetuate
A. high self-esteem.
B. persistent apprehension.
C. a healthy striving for power.
D. feelings of inferiority.
31. Karen Horney saw neurotic behavior as a protection against
A. low self-esteem.
B. self-hatred.
C. psychosis.
D. basic anxiety.
32. Kip seeks out powerful people to be his friends. Karen Horney would say that Kip's need for
a
powerful
partner
A.
is
a
sign
of
high
self-esteem.
B.
is
a
neurotic
need.
C.
produces
D. will result in shame and guilt.
basic
anxiety.
33. According to Karen Horney, which of the following modes of relating to people helps people
combat basic anxiety?
A. moving against others
B. moving toward others
C. moving away from others
D. All of the answers are correct.
34. Which of these
A.
need
B.
need
C.
D. need for perfection
is
not
for
for
need
one
of
Karen
affection
order
Horney's
for
10
and
and
neurotic
needs?
approval
direction
power
35. Some people combat basic anxiety by trying to be first, to be important, or to attract attention
to themselves. According to Karen Horney, this depicts the neurotic need for
A. independence.
B. a powerful partner.
C. prestige.
D. self-sufficiency.
36. Parker constantly belittles his own accomplishments. He also dreads asking others for favors.
According to Karen Horney, these behaviors illustrate a neurotic need
A.
for
affection
and
approval.
B.
for
a
romantic
life
partner.
C.
to
restrict
one's
life
within
narrow
borders.
D. to attain self-sufficiency and independence.
37. Tami is proud of her intellectual skills and abilities, and she is pleased when others notice and
admire her superior intelligence. According to Karen Horney, these behaviors illustrate a neurotic
need for
A. power.
B. affection and approval.
C. independence.
D. prestige.
E. personal admiration.
38. According to Karen Horney, how do neurotics differ from normal people?
A. neurotics are completely conscious of their basic attitudes.
B. neurotics are free to choose their own actions.
C. neurotics experience severe, insoluble conflicts.
D. None of the answers is correct.
39. According to Karen Horney, normal and neurotic individuals differ in their use of the three
basic styles of relating to people in that
A. neurotics use deceit to relate to others.
B. normal individuals only use one mode of relating to others.
C. neurotics only use one mode of relating to others.
D. neurotics use the three basic styles, but normal individuals do not.
40. Which of the following statements is true about neurotics who adopt the philosophy of
moving toward people?
A. They are compulsively driven to appear perfect and powerful.
B. They are unlikely to rate themselves according to what others think of them.
C. They are unwilling to subordinate themselves to others.
D. They are willing to see others as more intelligent or attractive.
41. According to Karen Horney, which of the following neurotic needs is incorporated in the
neurotic trend of moving against people?
A. the need to receive recognition and prestige
B. the need for privacy, independence, and self-sufficiency
C. the need to seek a powerful partner
D. the need for affection and approval of others
42. Karen Horney believed that neurotics move toward people because they experience
A. deep feelings of helplessness.
B. painful feelings of inferiority.
C. painful feelings of isolation.
D. deep feelings of love and affection.
43. Some people move toward other people by seeking a powerful partner. Karen Horney
referred to this as
A. a neurotic symbiotic need.
B. the need for food and shelter.
C. morbid dependency.
D. moving against people.
44. According to Karen Horney, aggressive people assume that other people are
A. helpless.
B. hostile.
C. superior to them.
D. inferior to them.
45. The strategy of moving away from people to cope with basic anxiety is an expression of the
need for
A. power.
B. independence.
C. personal admiration.
D. a powerful partner.
46. Which of the following statements is true about individuals who adopt Karen Horney's
neurotic
trend
of
moving
away
from
people?
A.
They
fear
needing
others.
B.
They
fear
dependence
upon
others.
C.
They
fear
competition.
D. All of the answers are correct.
47. Each of Karen Horney's neurotic trends has a normal analog. The ability to survive in a
competitive society is a healthy extension of the neurotic trend of
A.
moving
against
people.
B.
moving
toward
people.
C.
moving
with
people.
D. moving away from people.
48. According to Karen Horney, an outstanding characteristic of people who adopt the trend of
moving toward people is
A. self-confidence.
B. compliance.
C. aggressiveness.
D. detachment.
49. The normal analog of Karen Horney's neurotic trend of moving away from people is
A.
autonomy.
B.
competition.
C.
compliance.
D.
indifference.
E. hostility.
50. According to Karen Horney, the principal behavior of neurotics who move away from people
is
A. self-confidence.
B. compliance.
C. aggressiveness.
D. detachment.
51. According to Karen Horney, two important intrapsychic conflicts are
A. guilt and remorse.
B. competition and cooperation.
C. self-hatred and the idealized self-image.
D. moving away from people and moving toward people.
E. moving against people and moving toward people.
52. Karen Horney believed that intrapsychic processes originate from
A. the anatomical differences between the sexes.
B. interpersonal experiences.
C. the collective unconscious.
D. neurotic trends.
E. instinctual strivings.
53. According to Karen Horney, which of the following statements is true about neurotics?
A. They use the real self as the standard for self-evaluation.
B. They use the idealized self as the standard for self-evaluation.
C. They move toward the goal of actualizing the real self.
D. They are unable even to form the concept of the idealized self.
54. Karen Horney referred to neurotics' compulsive drive toward actualizing the ideal self as
A.
the
process
of
self-realization.
B.
the
neurotic
trend.
C.
the
neurotic
search
for
glory.
D.
the
tyranny
of
the
should.
E. neurotic ambition.
55. In their need for perfection, neurotics often set up complex rules and outrageous standards
that they feel they must follow. Karen Horney refers to this as
A. the process of self-realization.
B. neurotic claims.
C. the tyranny of the should.
D. neurotic ambition.
E. vindictive triumph.
56. According to Karen Horney, the most destructive element of the neurotic search for glory is
A. neurotic ambition.
B. the neurotic claim of accomplishments.
C. neurotic pride.
D. the drive toward a vindictive triumph.
E. the tyranny of the should.
57. Which of the following statements is true about neurotic pride?
A.
It
is
qualitatively
similar
to
healthy
pride.
B.
It
is
based
on
realistic
attributes
and
accomplishments.
C. It is loudly proclaimed to protect a glorified view of one's self.
D. It is based on a realistic view of the true self.
58. According to Karen Horney, neurotics express self-hatred in the form of _____ when they
constantly berate themselves.
A. merciless self-accusation
B. relentless demands on the self
C. self-destructive actions and impulses
D. self-frustration
59. According to Karen Horney, self-hatred may take the form of _____, which might be
expressed as belittling, disparaging, doubting, discrediting, and ridiculing oneself.
A. self-destruction
B. self-frustration
C. self-accusation
D. self-contempt
60. Karen Horney insisted that the Oedipus complex
A. does not exist.
B. is the result of cultural forces.
C. is the result of physical anatomy.
D. is universal.
61. Karen Horney believed that at the core of men's need to subjugate women and women's wish
to
humiliate
men
is
A.
basic
anxiety.
B.
self-hatred.
C.
neurotic
pride.
D.
a
vindictive
triumph.
E. the tyranny of the should.
62. For Karen Horney, psychic differences between men and women result from
A. the anatomical differences between the sexes.
B. differences in superego development.
C. the resolution of the Oedipus complex.
D. cultural and social expectations.
63. Karen Horney recognized that some women may wish to be men because of
A.
penis
envy.
B.
womb
envy.
C.
the
cultural
privileges
that
are
regarded
as
masculine.
D. the anatomical differences between the sexes.
64. The general goal of Horneyian therapy is to help patients
A. enhance the trend of moving toward people.
B. reject the trend of moving against people.
C. actualize the idealized self.
D. increase their needs for safety and security.
E. grow in the direction of self-realization.
65. Which of the following techniques did Karen Horney not use in her psychotherapy?
A. dream interpretation
B. free association
C. hypnosis
D. All of the answers are correct.
66. Which of the following is a major strength of Karen Horney's theory?
A.
her
comprehensive
description
of
the
neurotic
personality
B.
her
concern
with
the
biological
determinants
of
behavior
C.
her
description
of
psychic
conflict
D.
her
innovative
psychotherapy
techniques
E. her support for Sigmund Freud's ideas on the importance of the Oedipus complex
67. According to Karen Horney, the principal difference between a psychologically healthy person
and a neurotic person is the degree of _____ with which each moves toward, against, or away
from people.
A. force
B. basic hostility
C. compulsivity
D. aggression
68. Karen Horney’s concept of humanity was based mostly on her
A. clinical work with neurotic patients.
B. reactions to Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalysis.
C. search for the self-actualizing person.
D. prior training in sociology.